Oilers’ Nugent-Hopkins available, Roslovic questionable vs. Kraken

The Edmonton Oilers got some good and bad news ahead of their game against the Seattle Kraken.

Centres Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Curtis Lazar have been cleared to return to the Oilers’ lineup, but the status of wingers Jack Roslovic and Kasperi Kapanen is up in the air ahead of Saturday’s showdown, head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters after practice on Thursday.

Nugent-Hopkins has been out of the lineup since the 9-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 8 with an undisclosed injury. He returned to practice this week after the team returned from a seven-game road trip.

The 32-year-old from Burnaby, B.C., had been off to a strong start before being sidelined with 16 points (five goals and 11 assists) in 16 games.

Lazar, meanwhile, has missed four games with an upper-body injury suffered against the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 17. He has one goal in nine games in his first season with the Oilers.

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On the other side of the injury equation, Roslovic missed Thursday’s practice and has been listed as questionable after blocking a shot in Tuesday’s 8-3 loss to the Dallas Stars. He played only 11:09 in the outing and scored a goal in the third, but was held out for a stretch in the second period.

The 28-year-old Columbus, Ohio, native has 10 goals and eight assists in 23 games over his first season in Edmonton, and has played an average of 17:20 of ice time a night.

Additionally, Kapanen — who has been on the long-term injured reserve since Oct. 19 with an undisclosed injury — suffered an apparent injury at Thursday’s practice. He was visibly frustrated as he left the ice, knocking down a rack of sticks.

The 29-year-old Finn has been practising this week in preparation for a return to the lineup, but may be sidelined a little while longer. Knoblauch did not provide an update on his status after practice.

In six games this season, Kapanen has two assists and is averaging 12:17 of ice time.

The Oilers have dealt with a bevy of injuries this season and sit sixth in the Pacific Division with a 10-10-5 record.