Oilers' Jordan Eberle to make season debut on Friday

The Edmonton Oilers received some good news after losing their top rookie Connor McDavid for months after he fractured his left clavicle on Tuesday in a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The good news is that Jordan Eberle will get to start his season debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins after he sustained a shoulder injury in a preseason game on September 29th against the Arizona Coyotes.

Eberle told the Oilers website:

It feels good. I'm excited to get going. You get a chance to sit out and watch your team play it's not too much fun. Going into the first game, just kind of get my timing under me, and getting my rhythm going. I'm playing with two guys that are really feeling it right now, so I'll just try to get them the puck and get to a place where I can score.

Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli referenced Eberle's impending return in a press conference Wednesday announcing McDavid's injury:

What's important is just to move forward, Chiarelli said. We're going to be missing him for a while and we have good players and we're getting a good player (Eberle) back. Teams suffer catastrophic injuries and teams figure it out. It's something that the team, the guys, have to step up. They will miss Connor, but he will be back. He'll be like a trade acquisition when he comes back, which will be nice, and we move on.

Eberle, the 22nd pick in the 2008 NHL Draft by the Oilers, has 120 goals and 284 points in 356 games. He had 24 goals and 63 points last season.