The Edmonton Oilers will be without forwards Jack Roslovic and Kasperi Kapanen for the foreseeable future, head coach Kris Knoblauch said Friday, adding another round of injuries to the list of injuries the team is battling through.
When asked about Roslovic’s status, the coach said the winger is expected to miss “a few weeks”. The injury came after Roslovic blocked a shot in Tuesday’s 8-3 loss to the Dallas Stars. The 28-year-old left the match for the final 15 minutes of the second period but returned in the third, recording five shifts and scoring a goal.
Although he finished the game, Roslovic did not skate the next day and was not on the ice on Friday. In his first season with Edmonton, Roslovic was a bright spot, with ten goals and eight assists in 23 games. The fact that he will be out for at least a few weeks is unfortunate news for the team. Knoblauch was asked if there was a chance of a broken bone, and the answer was no.
Kapanen suffered a setback on Thursday as he worked on his return from a long-term knee injury that has kept him out since October 19. The forward looked good on skates and was ready to come back. Unfortunately, he got tangled during a practice and left the ice, furious that he had hurt himself again. He smashed a bunch of sticks on the bench, sending them flying in all directions.
Knoblauch said the winger’s status has shifted from an imminent return to “at least a week, maybe several weeks.”
The Oilers will also be without defenseman Jake Walman on Saturday against the Seattle Kraken. Walman is recovering from a shot block last weekend and will miss his third straight game, although Knoblauch noted he is “making progress” and could return next week. Forward Noah Phil also remains sidelined.
There is good news: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Curtis Lazar are expected back in the lineup on Saturday.
Edmonton enters the game at 10-10-5 and sixth in the Pacific Division, still looking for stability as injuries continue to disrupt the roster.
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