Oilers activate goalie Mike Smith from long-term injured reserve

The Oilers should get a much-needed boost in goal as Edmonton announced it has activated goaltender Mike Smith from long-term injured reserve. Edmonton has played 13 games this season with starter Mikko Koskinen starting 12 of those 13 games. Stuart Skinner, the Oilers' backup all this time, has appeared in one game and now has been assigned to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL.

Smith, who has missed the entire season so far with an undisclosed injury, should immediately provide the Oilers a second NHL-caliber goaltender who can help share net duties rather than force Koskinen to play constantly. In the 12 games Koskinen has played, he has a 5-7 record with a 3.52 GAA and a .889 save percentage — not numbers of a goaltender who should be playing every game.

Of course, Smith didn’t exactly put up eye-catching numbers last year either. Smith, 38, played 39 games last season, posting a 2.95 GAA and a .902 save percentage. Regardless, those numbers would be quite a bit better than what the Oilers have seen so far this season. Smith is expected to start one of the Oilers' back-to-back games on Monday or Tuesday against Ottawa.

Smith signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal this offseason.