2 Oilers Expected Back From Injuries This Week

The Edmonton Oilers are about to get back to full strength with the return of two injured players. Head coach Kris Knoblauch said that he expects both Sam Gagner and Dylan Holloway to be ready for Saturday's game against the Ottawa Senators.

This is great news for the Oilers who are already rolling along with five wins in a row shortly after reeling off eight in a row. They are right back in the playoff race in the Western Conference and have a fairly easy schedule ahead of them.

With the top two lines dominating and staying together for the time being, this means the bottom-six will get a boost from these two returning players, whether they are in the lineup every night or not. Holloway was an everyday player when he was healthy and provides a combination of physicality and skill. The Oilers would like for him to find his offensive game, and he may be able to if he's put on a line with Evander Kane. Gagner wasn't in the lineup every night when healthy, but he is a good player to have available. He has provided a surprising amount of offense for his limited ice time and games.

The players most likely knocked out of the lineup if both Holloway and Gagner enter are Adam Erne, Mattias Janmark, and Connor Brown. Since Brown already got his bonus and is seemingly on the edge of breaking through, he would be the Oilers' last choice of these three to come out right now. If he can get going and there is this much competition for playing time in the bottom-six, it can only be a good thing for Edmonton.