The Edmonton Oilers got some good news on Saturday as forward Jujhar Khaira looks like he’s good to go and will be in the lineup for the team as they take on the Winnipeg Jets in the second game of a Hockey Night in Canada back-to-back. Khaira was sidelined for a game after taking a nasty shot in a fight with Calgary Flames’ player Brett Ritchie.
Concern for Khaira was that he was going to have some longer-term injury after it looked like he got partially knocked out from a shot that landed squarely at the end of the bout. He was able to leave the game mostly on his own accord but missed Thursday’s contest against Winnipeg– one the Oilers won 2-1.
He will come back into the lineup at third-line center and it will be intriguing to see how he responds to an incident that could shake the confidence of anyone. Will Khaira be the same aggressive forward that was starting to turn heads this season? If engaged, will be be happy to go again or back off a little?
As Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic wrote after seeing the punch land, “The look on Jujhar Khaira’s face after he took that punch and fell to the ice puts a lump in your throat. Most importantly, hope he’s OK.” He seems to be, now let’s hope he’s able to continue his strong play so far this season.
Other Lineup Notes:
Forward Kailer Yamamoto is still out with upper body and listed as day-to-day, while William Lagesson is back in for Caleb Jones. Mike Smith gets the start in goal. The Oilers are battling it out with the Maple Leafs for sole possession of first place in the North Division standings with this win tonight. Another win against the Jets would go a long way.
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