Edmonton has gone without the services of Drake Caggiula, Brandon Davidson, Matt Hendricks and Iiro Pakarinen to begin the season. Caggiula is supposed to slot in at third-line centre, and his return is highly anticipated. Davidson is one of the Oilers’ top blueliners, and since his absence, they have had to fill his spot with Eric Gryba or Matt Benning. Hendricks and Pakarinen serve as a tough forward presence, and without them, there’s less physicality on the bottom six.
Now, with Zack Kassian and Kris Russell joining the list of injured Oilers, things are getting tough. Kassian has been a force so far, and his offensive push earned him a spot on the top six.