© 2024 NHLI

EDMONTON, AB – Goaltender Calvin Pickard will once again get the start for the Edmonton Oilers against the Nashville Predators on Thursday night, while Viktor Arvidsson will be out with a lower-body injury for the third and final meeting this season between the two clubs at Rogers Place.

Pickard made the previous two starts against Nashville – both on the road and on Thursdays – which ended with Edmonton claiming 4-2 and 5-1 victories at Bridgestone Arena.

During those victories over Nashville, Brett Kulak recorded his first multi-goal game over four weeks ago, along with Jeff Skinner and Connor McDavid each recording goals, before Leon Draisaitl continued his dominance of Nashville over his career with a goal and two assists back on Halloween.

Pickard stopped 51 of 54 shots over those wins, and the 32-year-old netminder is 3-2-0 this regular season with a .886 save percentage and 2.60 goals-against average over six appearances for the Oilers after last making 16 saves during his last start in a 3-0 loss on Nov. 4 to the New Jersey Devils.

Dating back to the 2018-19 season, the Oilers have earned at least a point in 15 of their last 16 games against the Predators, going 13-1-2 in that span.

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed after Thursday’s optional pre-game skate that Viktor Arvidsson will be out of the lineup tonight with a lower-body injury that ultimately kept him prom practicing on Wednesday.

After yesterday’s skate, Knoblauch said it was “50-50” as to whether or not the Swedish forward would be able to play against his former team, but the bench boss confirmed following Thursday’s morning skate that he’d miss his first game of the season.

“It’s day-to-day and we anticipate him being ready on the weekend,” Knoblauch said.

Knoblauch also confirmed that Travis Dermott will come in as the Oilers will go with 11 forwards and seven defencemen versus Nashville. Arvidsson’s absence leaves a hole at right wing on Edmonton’s second line next to Vasily Podkolzin and Leon Draisaitl, but despite being a notable absence, the Oilers have plenty of able bodies who are more than willing to absorb the extra ice time and top-six responsibilities.

“That changes things quite a bit with our line rotations, and somebody obviously has to double shift – whether it’s one guy or a collection of several guys – but more than likely, it’ll be several,” Knoblauch said.

“With the players that we have, it’s easier to run the bench because there are other guys that need more ice time and other guys need less. And when you’re actually short one, it works out well. But if you lose somebody to an injury or a long penalty or something, then it makes things more difficult.”

Knoblauch reiterated that it’ll be a team effort to fill Arvidsson’s spot, and that no single player will be relied upon to fill in for his absence.

“I think we’ll do it collectively,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of guys who can fill in to do that, with Corey Perry being one of them. But I think there’ll be some rotation.”

Draisaitl has 25 goals and 41 points in his last 16 games against the Predators and is tied for the League lead in goals (12) and game-winning goals (4) after his overtime marker on Tuesday lifted the Oilers to a 4-3 victory over the Islanders at Rogers Place. The German has goals and points (3G, 1A) in back-to-back games.

Connor McDavid provided the primary assist on Draisaitl’s OT winner as part of a four-point night (1G, 3A) to reach 999 career points, needing just one more to reach 1,000 and become the fourth-fastest player (and fourth youngest) in NHL history to reach the milestone.

View the Oilers Projected Lineup vs. the Predators below:

Forwards

Skinner – McDavid – Hyman
Podkolzin – Draisaitl
Henrique – Nugent-Hopkins – Brown
Janmark – Ryan – Perry

Defence

Ekholm – Bouchard
Nurse – Dermott
Kulak – Emberson
Stecher

Goalies

Pickard
Skinner