Oilers confirm injury to key defenceman before game vs. Florida Panthers

In Thursday's game against Tampa Bay, defenseman Jake Walman received a hard hit and then blocked a shot that made him hobble to the bench. He finished the game with only 10:03 TOI, well below his average.

It's been now confirmed that Walman will miss tonight's key-matchup against the Panthers, and wasn't on the ice for this morning's skate with the team.

Not having defenseman Jake Walman in the lineup will hurt the Oilers primarily by removing a key puck-moving defenseman, impacting the team's defensive pairings and transition game.

Coach Knoblauch projected Walman could miss up to one week with his current injury. Based on other injury reporting this season, that may not be accurate.

Walman is known for his puck-moving skills. His ability to effectively transport the puck up the ice, either by skating it out or making a strong first pass, helps the Oilers' star forwards McDavid and Draisaitl get to work faster in the offensive zone.

He typically plays a top-four role, often alongside Darnell Nurse on the second pairing. His absence forces a shake-up in the defensive pairings, potentially leading to less experienced players into more difficult roles.

As a result of Jake being being out, and also to add more physicality, Oilers have called-up prospect Connor Clattenburg in the team's Stanley Cup Finals rematch tonight.

Clattenburg will make his NHL debut alongside David Tomasek and Mattias Janmark on the fourth line. With Clattenburg's arrival, the Oilers will revert to using 12 forwards and 6 defencemen, as per the Edmonton Oilers' website.

Alec Regula is projected to replace Jake Walman on the 2nd defense-pairing, alongside Darnell Nurse.