Oilers HC Kris Knoblauch provides crucial injury update on Darnell Nurse and Calvin Pickard post Canucks win

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Oct 01, 2024 16:48 GMT

The Edmonton Oilers won 3-2 against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch provided important updates on Darnell Nurse and Calvin Pickard's injuries after the game.

Knoblauch said regarding Nurse's status, per The Hockey News:

"He has been cleared, he can play. He has been participating in every single drill. He has been physical, he feels well, (but) we need to be cautious and not putting him in the lineup and overextending him where he's playing 25 minutes in the first game, 25 minutes the next night."

They don't want to risk Nurse playing too many minutes too soon. His return is important for the Oilers' defense.

Knoblauch also gave an update on goalie Pickard:

"He's going to go on the ice tomorrow just with Dustin (Schwartz) and participate in practice before we go to Seattle on Wednesday. Then he'll have some shots with the players. So he's coming along nicely."

Pickard’s progress is a good sign for the team, especially with the regular season approaching. His presence will be essential to rest Stuart Skinner.

Knoblauch mentioned that winning feels good but getting key players back is also important. The Oilers are working to ensure Nurse and Pickard are ready for the start of the season. They want to win this season right from the beginning to avoid their mistake from last season. They had lost many games and ranked near the bottom of their division.

If they want to maintain a good win ratio, they will need their roster in full health. With two preseason games remaining, the Oilers are focused on preparing for a strong season ahead.

Coach Kris Knoblauch talks about the Oilers' 2nd line featuring Draisaitl

The Edmonton Oilers won 3-2 against the Vancouver Canucks in a shootout. This win brought the Oilers’ pre-season record to 3-3. Corey Perry and Viktor Arvidsson contributed a goal each, and Leon Draisaitl helped secure the win in the shootout. After the game,

The game also featured the new second line with Draisaitl, Viktor Arvidsson, and Jeff Skinner. Knoblauch spoke about the second line after the game.

“They are just getting used to each other right now," Knoblauch said, per NHL.com. "They had some good chances, probably not as many as you would expect in a game like tonight. But it was a good first step.”

On the same lines, Connor McDavid said the team is still improving and needs to "play more together."