Edmonton Oilers Suffer Major Blow as Another Top-Six Forward Absent From Practice

The Edmonton Oilers are once again closing in on clinching a playoff spot for the sixth year in a row. The Oilers had a chance to punch their ticket a couple of days ago but were shockingly defeated at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks.

This time, they will be playing host to the red-hot St. Louis Blues, where they will once again try to clinch a spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In order for the Oilers to advance to the playoffs, not only will they need to defeat the Blues, but they will also need to get a loss from the Calgary Flames.

Unfortunately for Edmonton, they will need to try and clinch most likely without Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, as he missed practice and many fear he could be suffering from an injury.

Edmonton holds the upper hand in the season series against the Blues to this point, with two wins already banked, one a 4-2 victory in December and the other a 3-2 overtime victory in February, so hopefully they will emerge victorious despite several key absences.

Both squads are at 93 points in the standings, but as St. Louis' 80th game, the Blues are in a position to close in on their playoff berth. A regulation win for them, coupled with a loss by the Flames, would lock them into the playoffs.

The Oilers will be without some of their top contributors, such as Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Trent Frederic, Mattias Ekholm, and starter Stuart Skinner. Throw in Nugent-Hopkins in the list, and this seems like a mountain of a game to climb.

Coming up short in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in last year's playoffs, Edmonton is hungry to find their way back to the big dance, and a win tonight would be another step on the right path. Hopefully, they will get healthy in time for the playoffs.