PROJECTED LINEUP: Oilers vs. Jets (Preseason)

EDMONTON, AB – The Edmonton Oilers will continue their eight-game pre-season slate with a visit from the Winnipeg Jets to Rogers Place on Friday night.

Defencemen Darnell Nurse and Troy Stecher will lead the blueline for the Oilers in front of a second pairing of Brett Kulak and Alec Regula, followed by Cam Dineen and Josh Brown on the third pair.

Edmonton's defensive corps feels it's well-positioned this season to capitalize on the depth and chemistry it developed from last year, with all seven defencemen who played in the Stanley Cup Final returning, and the individual skill of their other blueliners competing for spots in the organization.

"Yeah, it's exciting with the individual pieces that we have as a D-core," Nurse said. "They're very good defencemen and a group that's played together in the playoffs last year, so you get a lot of familiarity with each other in tough situations. We just like playing together. There's a lot of potential, and I think a group's capable of being a real solid contributor to our group this year. But with that said, we just gotta go out there and play."

"I think if you look at the pairs, there'll probably be a lot of stability there this year, and I think everyone's really looking forward to that."

Nurse will line up for Friday's exhibition tune-up with the Jets alongside Stecher, with whom he played the most during the 2024-25 season over 470:23 of total ice time together in 61 games, as per Natural Stat Trick. Beyond the comfort of being in a consistent pairing with Stecher, Nurse mentioned he's always been a fan of his work ethic while knowing he's always going to bring 100 percent in every game.

"He's a pitbull. He goes out there and he works each and every day," Nurse said of his partnership with Stecher. "He's probably the hardest-working guy on the ice. Each practice we have, whether it's morning skate or not, you always know where he's going to be. He always knows he's going to bring 100 percent of his effort, and he's a lot of fun to play with."

Edmonton's top two forward lines will feature youth in Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie as the rookies push for opening night roster spots. Nurse added that young players can add a lot of life to the locker room during a long regular season, which can help motivate veteran players who've been around a long time.

"The life, the juice that they bring to the rink; the smiles, the emotion, the enthusiasm, that just helps the group. It's infectious," Nurse said. "So when you have some of that, the young blood in your lineup and in your room, it spreads throughout."

View the Oilers Projected Lineup vs. Winnipeg below:

Mangiapane - Henrique - Savoie
Howard - Tomasek - Kapanen
Janmark - Philp - Hutson
Marjala - Samanski - Jarventie

Nurse - Stecher
Kulak - Regula
Dineen - Brown

Pickard
Jonsson