PROJECTED LINEUP: Arvidsson returns to Oilers lineup for Game 4 against the Stars

EDMONTON, AB – Winger Viktor Arvidsson will come back into the lineup for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars at Rogers Place.

Arvidsson will replace Connor Brown, who was injured on a hit from defenceman Alex Petrovic in the second period of Sunday’s 6-1 Oilers victory in Game 3.

Goaltender Calvin Pickard is healthy enough to serve as backup to Stuart Skinner tonight, but Mattias Ekholm will remain out as he awaits his chance to make his 2025 playoffs debut at some point in this series.

Arvidsson will draw back in for the first time since Game 3 of the Second Round against the Vegas Golden Knights, having played well in nine games this postseason with a goal and three assists before Head Coach Kris Knoblauch decided to swap in Kasperi Kapanen, who scored the overtime-winning goal in Game 5 to send the Oilers to the Western Final.

"Of course, it's tough," Arvidsson said. "I thought I should be out there, but I'm just happy to be back. I think I played well during the time I was on the ice."

"I guess they wanted to make a change, and that's what they did, and that's how it was. Coming back, I think I have to play the same style of play as I did and as I've always done – bring energy, a lot of pucks to the net, bodies to the net, forecheck and play good defensively."

Coach Knoblauch expects much of the same from Arvidsson as he did before he was taken out of the lineup, knowing the winger can be an impact scorer for this team and play physical while fitting the mould for the type of possession-focused, hard-forechecking game the Oilers are trying to play in the playoffs.

“I expect him to pick up right where he left off, and lines won't be exactly the same, but when he left, Podkolzin, himself and Janmark played really well and [they scored] four important goals in about a six-game span,” Knoblauch said. “I think this time of the year, it's physical, and he's not afraid of getting involved in the play. He is smaller, but he is definitely feisty.

“I think with his attributes, he's a smart hockey player. He's got good puck skills, but something that he really adds to our team is speed. I think in the last game, we could have used a little more of that and gotten in on the forecheck a little bit faster, maybe a little more off the rush, pushing their defensemen back. He'll help us with that."

Arvidsson has a chance to join his previous linemates Mattias Janmark and Vasily Podkolzin, but the 32-year-old has shown chemistry with Leon Draisaitl if Coach Knoblauch decides to revert to having Draisaitl and Connor McDavid on separate lines, unlike how Edmonton finished the third period of Game 3.

The return of Arvidsson to the lineup has Knoblauch feeling like they have a lot of strong, proven combinations to work with.

"I liked that our game was much better in the third period than it was in the second period," he said. "That being said, I think we can still have success with the way our lines were in the second period. But with Arvidsson coming in, we have some different combinations that we can do, and we have guys that have worked well. Arvidsson's played really well for a long time with Draisaitl. He's also spent a lot of time lately over the last month or so with Janmark, so we have some options there. But we're still figuring it out."

To Draisaitl, having the option to replace the injured Brown, who's tied for the second-most goals for the Oilers during the playoffs with five, with a proven scorer in Arvidsson, while also having names like Jeff Skinner available, showcases the club's terrific depth that's made for these moments.

"I think our depth is as good as any in the league," he said. "We've had good teams, but I would probably say depth-wise, this is probably as deep as we've been since I've been here. It's a luxury to have. That's what good teams have.

"I think we get a lot of guys that can just play in any situation, and I think that gives Knobber a lot of options, right? Arvy's coming in, and you can play him on the third line or on the first line. It doesn't matter. He knows how to play in every situation, and I think that we have a lot of guys who are just capable of playing anywhere up and down the lineup."

View the Oilers Projected Game 4 Lineup vs. Dallas below:

Draisaitl - McDavid - Perry
Kane - Nugent-Hopkins - Hyman
Frederic - Henrique - Kapanen
Podkolzin - Janmark - Arvidsson

Kulak - Bouchard
Nurse - Stecher
Walman - Klingberg

Skinner
Pickard