Nurse’s absence will be a big loss, having averaged nearly 21 minutes of ice time this season as a top-four defenceman and contributing two goals and seven assists in 18 games. Both of Nurse’s goals this season came in last Thursday’s 3-2 overtime win over the Predators, including the game-winner assisted by Connor McDavid, before Reaves’ dangerous hit on Saturday night limited him to only 7:45 of ice time in his team’s defeat to the Maple Leafs.
The Oilers will be down the services of two key players, with Viktor Arvidsson also set to miss a second straight game with a minor injury.
“He’s the emotional leader,” Pickard said of Nurse. “He’s a huge leader for us. He’s been playing great hockey, moving the puck, skating up and down the rink and scoring goals. He’s been awesome. But it’s up to us to fill the void, and everybody needs to step up a little bit more and play their game.”
Defenceman Josh Brown was called up from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors on Sunday and will make his regular-season Oilers debut tonight as the team’s seventh defenceman.
Brown has recorded two assists and a +5 plus/minus in 12 games this AHL season for the Condors while leading the league with 46 penalty minutes. The right-shot defenceman picked up two assists and a fighting major in Bakersfield’s thrilling 8-7 shootout victory over the San Diego Gulls on Sunday.
“He’s been playing really well, contributing to their success and he’s been really physical,” Knoblauch said. “Obviously, he’s a shut-down defenceman who takes a lot of space. But also, the physicality and he’s had some fights down there.”
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