PROJECTED LINEUP: Podkolzin returns for Friday's pre-season finale in Vancouver

EDMONTON, AB – Forward Vasily Podkolzin will be back in the lineup for the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night when they make the trip to Vancouver to conclude their pre-season schedule against the Canucks at Rogers Arena.

Podkolzin has only played in one exhibition contest for the Oilers due to the sudden passing of his father last week, which prompted the 24-year-old to take a leave of absence from the team to return to Russia and be with his family.

The news came just 24 hours after the Russian forward signed a three-year contract extension with the Oilers on Sept. 23 with an average annual value of $2.95 million – a result of his hard work, dedication and ability to play up and down the lineup while earning praise from the likes of Leon Draisaitl as one of his favourite players to play with.

Podkolzin will start on the second line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Andrew Mangiapane on Friday night, while Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid continue in their top-line deployment alongside Trent Frederic.

Forwards Noah Philp and David Tomasek return to the Oilers’ lineup after missing Wednesday’s trip to Seattle because of illnesses, and both will centre their own lines against Vancouver as versatile options for Head Coach Kris Knoblauch in the bottom six.

Forward Max Jones and defenceman Jake Walman will be out on Friday, but both are expected to be available for the Oilers’ season opener at Rogers Place on Oct. 8 against the Calgary Flames. Knoblauch added that forward Mattias Janmark will be out due to injury and is expected to miss a week.

Goaltender Stuart Skinner is expected to receive the start against the Canucks after Calvin Pickard got the nod between the pipes on Wednesday night and made 17 saves on 21 shots in a 4-2 defeat to the Kraken.

The Oilers also recalled netminder Matt Tomkins back from the AHL's Bakersfield Condors on Friday morning.

View the Oilers’ projected lineup vs. the Canucks below:

Draisaitl - McDavid - Frederic
Podkolzin - Nugent-Hopkins - Mangiapane
Henrique - Philp - Savoie
Howard - Tomasek – Kapanen

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Stecher
Kulak - Emberson

Skinner
Pickard