EDMONTON, AB – Goaltender Connor Ingram will get the start, while the Edmonton Oilers are expected to receive forward Kasperi Kapanen back into their lineup on Tuesday night for a meeting with the Nashville Predators at Rogers Place as they look to get back to winning ways for the first time in 2026.
With Tuesday's morning practice being optional, Kapanen is expected to play his first game since Oct. 19 against the Detroit Red Wings on the second line with Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin, having missed the previous 36 games with a lower-body injury that he reaggravated in practice in late November.
"It was tough to see him go down the first time around when he was coming back, so I think we're all excited for his energy, more so excited for him as a human being, and it's been a long year for him," Draisaitl said. "Rehabbing and not being around the group is really tough. It's not fun, and we're just excited for him to be around the guys, get that adrenaline, and for him to play hockey again is the most important thing right now."
Draisaitl said it'll take a bit of an adjustment for Kapanen to get back up to speed, but he's been showing in recent practices that he's ready for the real thing, and he & his teammates are going to give him the support he needs when possible.
"You've got to give him a little bit of time," Draisaitl said. "He's missed almost half a year here, so I'm gonna try and help him out as much as I can, get him his touches and make him feel confident in his game early, but you know it's going to take time. It's just the way it is."
"But he looks great out there and we're very excited to have him back."
