BLOG: Sunday's optional at Rogers Place 05.02.21

EDMONTON, AB - The Oilers held a light optional practice at Rogers Place Sunday after wrapping up their season series versus the Calgary Flames with a 4-1 victory on Saturday night.
The team will depart to British Columbia after the practice to begin a run of four straight games against the Vancouver Canucks, beginning with two on the road.
Jujhar Khaira and Slater Koekkoek were among Sunday's participants. Zack Kassian and Kris Russell were not on the ice.
Mikko Koskinen and Alex Stalock were the only goalies taking shots.
In the afternoon, the Oilers announced the reassignment of defender Philip Broberg to the taxi squad. The 2019 eighth-overall selection compiled three goals and 13 points in 44 games with Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League this season.
Get all content from Sunday below.

Head Coach Dave Tippett on maintaining rest the for the remainder of the schedule:

"The games, you've got to make sure you have the energy to play. We'll manage our rest with days off. Really, we've got limited practice time here. That's why we want to make sure that we use the games. Every game we go into, we'll have a purpose of how we want to play and what we want to do to make sure our game is in order. Our preparation right now is to get our team playing as well as we can so we can clinch a playoff spot and go into a playoff series playing well. Those are the things driving us now.
"It's imperative that we get enough rest because you want to play well in the playoffs. You do everything to prepare. Prepare your game and what you're doing on the ice but you also prepare with the thought of making sure you're healthy as possible and going into the playoffs as fresh as possible."

Tippett's update on Jujhar Khaira and whether he will play this week:

"I would hope so, yeah. He's been skating every day with the extra guys. He's getting closer."

Coach Tippett on the option of giving players games off before the playoffs:

"You got to make sure your team is ready. In saying that, some players maybe haven't played as much lately that you want to get a game or two here or there. On the other side of it, you want to make sure your team is in sync and in rhythm down the stretch. We'll try to manage that as best we can. Some of it will be as you come through here and have bumps and bruises, you might give somebody an extra day to heal up a little bit that maybe you normally wouldn't.
"We'll manage that as the next two weeks go here. Those factors of making sure that our team is prepared as best we can, some of those factors come into play. Making sure that you get some people some minutes that maybe haven't gotten many to make sure they're ready. Everything we'll do as a team in preparation of how we play, how much rest we get and making sure we're giving ourselves the best chance to be as good a team as we can be down the stretch and into the playoffs. That's what we're going to do."