PROJECTED LINEUP: Draisaitl available; Henrique out for Game 3 against Canucks

EDMONTON, AB – Head Coach Kris Knoblauch provided updates on the statuses of Leon Draisaitl and Adam Henrique ahead of Game 3 against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Place on Sunday.

Draisaitl will be available coming off his four-point performance during Edmonton’s 4-3 overtime win in Game 2, but Henrique will be out of the lineup after returning from a one-game absence with an undisclosed injury in Game 1 and playing a reduced role in 11:36 of ice time during Friday’s victory.

Draisaitl is expected to start on the top line again with Connor McDavid, whom he combined to produce two goals and six assists with as the major catalysts to Edmonton’s response OT win on the West Coast. However, the bench boss mentioned that Draisaitl could bounce between the top-line wing spot and his more regular second-line centre position depending on matchups, with the Oilers having last change tonight as the home team.

“I'm certain there'll be times when he'll be playing left wing with Connor, and there'll be other times he'll be centring his old line,” Knoblauch said. “So we'll see what Vancouver does with their lineup and we'll adjust from there."

Knoblauch confirmed that Connor Brown will take Henrique’s spot in the lineup and play in the bottom six, where the coach has a lot of trust in the players’ abilities to fulfill their assignments and get the job done despite the offence having yet to come from their third and fourth-line depth players.

“I like how they've been playing. I have a lot of trust in them. I'm not hiding them,” he said. “There’ve been times I've had them go out there for a defensive zone face-off when I know they're other teams top lines going to be out there, and they've held their own very well.

“And ultimately, that third or fourth line, what you want from them is obviously, you'd like to be a plus every night and have one more goal than the opposition. They've been a little snake bit and haven't been scoring, but I think they've done a pretty good job of defending and spending time in the offensive zone.”

View the Oilers Projected Lineup for Game 5 vs. the Canucks:

Draisaitl - McDavid - Hyman
Foegele - Nugent-Hopkins - Kane
Holloway - McLeod - Perry
Janmark - Ryan - Brown

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Ceci
Kulak - Desharnais

Skinner
Pickard