A Minnesota Wild (27-13-4) team that has been hit hard by injuries will be the first team the Edmonton Oilers (27-13-3) face on a three-game road trip that begins Wednesday night in Saint Paul.
The Oilers and Wild have similar records over each hockey club’s last 10 games: Edmonton has gone 7-2-1 and Minnesota has gone 7-3-0.
However, the Wild are expected to play Wednesday night’s game without superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov and defencemen Brock Faber, Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin because of injuries.
The Oilers’ last game was a 1-0 win over Pacific Division rivals the Los Angeles Kings on Monday. Goaltender Stuart Skinner was credited with the shutout for Edmonton.
“It was very much a playoff game where two teams just went at it and played really solid,” Skinner said after the game.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid noted Skinner “was solid all night” against the Kings.
“He’s playing great,” McDavid said of the netminder.
As of Wednesday morning, it was not clear if Skinner or backup goaltender Calvin Pickard would get the start against the Wild.
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Former University of Alberta Golden Bears forward Noah Philp could play for Edmonton on Wednesday night. A day earlier, the Oilers announced he had been recalled from the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League.
Minnesota has an 11-9-1 record at home this season while Edmonton has gone 12-6-2 on the road.
The Oilers won the last time they faced the Wild, earning a 7-1 victory on Dec. 12.
Edmonton Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl (29) looks on during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn.
AP Photo/Matt Krohn
Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl has scored seven goals and collected six assists over the past 10 games. He currently leads the NHL goal-scoring race as he has found the back of the net 31 times this season.
–with files from The Associated Press and The Canadian Press
