Oilers and Canadiens Announce Lineup Changes Ahead of Monday Night Game

The Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens have announced their respective lineups for the game scheduled on Monday night at the Bell Centre, with a puck drop at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video, RDS, TSN Radio 690, and 98.5 FM.

The Oilers have been forced to adjust their lineup due to injuries. Defenseman Darnell Nurse will miss 5-10 days following an illegal check to the head from Ryan Reaves during a recent matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Reaves has been suspended for five games. In Nurse’s absence, the Oilers will call upon Josh Brown from the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League, dressing seven defensemen and 11 forwards for the game.

The Oilers’ projected lineup features Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor McDavid, and Zach Hyman on the top line, with Leon Draisaitl centering a line with Vasily Podkolzin and Corey Perry. Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner are the goaltenders with no players scratched and Viktor Arvidsson also out with an undisclosed injury.

The Canadiens, meanwhile, will see David Savard return to the ice after being a last-minute scratch on Saturday due to an upper-body injury. He will join a defensive corps that includes Mike Matheson and Kaiden Guhle. In goal, Sam Montembeault is set to start against the Oilers.

Montreal will still be without forward Patrik Laine, who is sidelined with a knee injury, and Raphael Harvey-Pinard, recovering from a broken leg. Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, and Kirby Dach comprise the Canadiens’ top line, while Cole Caufield, Jake Evans, and Alex Newhook form the second line.

These adjustments are reflective of both teams’ ongoing efforts to navigate injuries as they vie for essential points in the standings during this ongoing NHL season. The matchup offers fans an opportunity to witness some of the sport’s most skilled athletes, including Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Montreal’s Nick Suzuki.