Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch announced that defenceman Darnell Nurse is expected to be sidelined for five to ten days following a head hit from Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves. The incident occurred during the second period of a recent game, leading to Reaves receiving a five-game suspension from the NHL.

Nurse missed the Oilers' morning skate ahead of their upcoming match against the Montreal Canadiens. In his absence, the team will field 11 forwards and seven defencemen, with Calvin Pickard starting in goal. Josh Brown, recently called up from the AHL, is set to make his debut with the Oilers. Additionally, Viktor Arvidsson will miss his third consecutive game due to an undisclosed injury.