Oilers' injury struggles continue with alarming new update

The Edmonton Oilers held a practice on Friday morning following their 6-5 shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.

There were two notable players missing at practice, with head coach Mike Babcock providing some updates afterwards. Babcock revealed that veteran blueliner Mattias Ekholm who left the game Thursday against the Hurricanes, will not play on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs and has been diagnosed with a concussion.

In addition to Ekholm, goaltender Devon Levi was noticeable absent at practice after securing the victory on Thursday. Babcock revealed that goaltender Tristan Jarry will take the starter's net while Levi will also be out of the lineup on Saturday.

This will prompt the club to call up a goaltender from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.

Oilers injury troubles continue

The Oilers injury situation seems to best be summed up by the saying; One step forward, two steps back.

In their game against the Hurricanes, the Oilers welcomed back Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who made his season debut and helped make his presence felt almost immediately. Now from that game, the Oilers lost veteran blueliner Ekholm and their starting goalie in Levi.

The 36 year old Ekholm has been a stabilizing presence on the Oilers backend since his acquisition from the Nashville Predators during the 2022-23 season. He logs important minutes for the Oilers and plays in all situations, if he is sidelined for a long period, it will be a major hole to fill on the blueline.

Levi has been impressive this season, playing seven of the teams 10 games with a 6-1-0 record and a 3.11 goals against average and .887 save percentage. His injury is currently undisclosed and it is unknown his exact timeline but fans and the club can only hope it is short term.

Oilers still without key players

The club is still without multiple impact players, all with differing timelines. Shutdown centre,Jason Dickinson has been held to just three games so far this season and is expected to return in the near future.

Matt Savoie is another player who is awaiting to make his season debut this year. The 22 year old finished last season on a high note and looked to have a breakout sophomore campaign. However, a news release in August revealed that Savoie would not participate in training camp and would miss the beginning of the season. The Oilers await the wingers' return which is expected sometime in November.

Newly signed goaltender Frederik Andersen was expected to help the Oilers secure their crease. The 37 year old is coming fresh off a Stanley Cup win with the Carolina Hurricanes last season but has struggled with injuries in recent years. He is not expected to return until late November or possibly later on.

The Oilers will have to continue to navigate their injury woes in the early parts of the season and despite this have found plenty of success. The club currently sits near the top of the NHL standings with an impressive 8-1-1 record.

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