UPDATE: Oilers head coach Todd McLellan confirmed at the morning skate that Kris Russell will return and Evan Bouchard will play his first career NHL game.
GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN - With Kris Russell looking likely to play on Saturday, the Oilers will have some tough decisions to make before game time (7:00 PM local Sweden time).
"We have some lineup decisions that we need to make over the next 24 hours. Generally speaking we've had a pretty good training camp," said Oilers head coach Todd McLellan. "There's going to be a couple disappointed players tomorrow. Which is okay, they should be."
McLellan added that because it's been a good camp, the decisions were difficult and the players who won't play or will be potentially sent down on Saturday are just caught up in a numbers game.
"They're not coming out because of their inactions, we just have too many numbers."
As for Russell, it sounds like he will play.
"He has passed all the tests he needs to pass. I just need to hear from the trainers this afternoon that he's good to go," McLellan said on Friday. He then confirmed Saturday morning that Russell will play.
Adam Larsson, who left the Calgary game early with back spasms and had limited practice in Germany, completed his second straight full practice alongside fellow Swede Oscar Klefbom on the top pairing, appears ready to go. The lines at practice on Friday were:
Nugent-Hopkins - McDavid - Rattie
Lucic - Draisaitl - Yamamoto
Khaira - Strome - Puljujarvi
Rieder - Brodziak - Kassian
Caggiula, Chiasson rotating in.
Klefbom - Larsson
Nurse - Benning
Russell - Bouchard
Garrison - Bear
The difference between Thursday and Friday was Jujhar Khaira moved up from the fourth line to the third line alongside Ryan Strome and Jesse Puljujarvi with Tobias Rieder taking Khaira's place with Kyle Brodziak and Zack Kassian. On defence, Kris Russell was with Evan Bouchard instead of Ethan Bear and Jason Garrison was paired with Bear.
BOUCHARD DEBUTS
Coach McLellan wasn't tipping his hand on Friday on whether or not Evan Bouchard will play but on Saturday morning he confirmed that he will.
"There's some excitement in him. We want him to settle down, get his nerves out early and play his game. He just has to be Evan Bouchard," McLellan said after morning skate. He then talked about the method to success for young players just stepping into the NHL.
"They get their nerves out, they settle in and play their game. They don't try and get too safe, they don't try and get too aggressive."
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was asked about his impressions of Bouchard through training camp.
"I think just the poise that he has out there is very impressive for a young d-man," said Nugent-Hopkins. "It's harder for a young d-man than forwards but the way he plays, he plays like he's been in the league a few years. He's very smart. He always has an idea of where the next play's going to be when he has the puck."
READY TO GO
Saturday's game will be the season debut for the Oilers and Devils but overall in the NHL it is the 20th game on the slate. The Oilers players and coaches have been standing by watching the results around the League pour and and it's gotten them antsy.
"We're anxious to play," said McLellan. "It's felt like this trip's been a long one already just because we haven't played many games. Our team needs to get going, we need to get the stress put on us of a real win and a real loss, begin to feel that. We need to establlish a bar, set the bar early here in game one and try to move up from there."
Darnell Nurse agreed with his head coach.
"It's funny, Wednesday all the games started up and we don't play until Saturday. Everyone's chomping at the bit to get out there and I'm sure New Jersey has the same feeling right now."
Nurse added that while Saturday's game is important, as they all are, they can't press too much particularly with only two games in the first eight days of the season with the next one not until Thursday in Boston.
"You have to have a regular mindset. Our mindset needs to be that each and every game is important so with that in mind, this first game is huge. It'll set the tone for the next two on the road."
-- Marc Ciampa, EdmontonOilers.com
