The Edmonton Oilers have spent the past couple of weeks without their best defenseman, but they will have him back in the lineup against the Los Angeles Kings. The Oilers official Twitter account confirmed that Darnell Nurse has been activated off the injured reserve and will be back in the lineup on Sunday night.
THE DOC IS IN! ??
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) December 5, 2021
The #Oilers have activated defenceman Darnell Nurse ahead of tonight's game against the Kings.#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/gOsExPWI1R
Nurse has been on the injured reserve since November 18, when he reportedly broke his finger against the Winnipeg Jets. The 26-year-old leads the Oilers in ice time this season, spending time across all strengths, and is tied for the team lead in assists among defensemen. Nurse has also been one of the best players from an advanced metrics perspective, ranking fourth on the team in expected goals-for percentage at five-on-five. The veteran defenseman slots back into his usual role atop the Oilers' depth chart now that he's back in action.
The Oilers have been one of the best teams on home ice this season, going 9-1-0. They enter tonight's contest against the Kings as -225 favorites, per the line info from FanDuel Sportsbook.
