Oilers' Nugent-Hopkins, Smith both day-to-day with undisclosed injuries

The Edmonton Oilers are in a deep slide, exacerbated by a 3-2 overtime loss on Saturday to the New York Islanders. Now, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector reports two pieces of bad news on the injury front. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins returned to Edmonton to get his undisclosed injury examined, and Spector says to assume he’s “out a while.” Additionally, he notes that goalie Mike Smith, who just returned from injury, is now day-to-day with an upper-body injury separate from the one that just kept him out for more than two months. Smith has struggled this season, the first of a two-year extension he signed this summer, posting a .897 save percentage in five games. It’ll mean more action for Stuart Skinner, a 23-year-old who’s helped buoy the Oilers with a .916 save percentage through 10 games. They’ll also be in tough with Nugent-Hopkins for the next little bit, who has only three goals but is still on a great pace with 26 points in 30 games.

Other rumblings from around the Pacific Division on New Year's Day:

• Seattle Kraken forward Ryan Donato will return Saturday night after being activated from COVID-19 protocol. Donato last played Dec. 18 against Edmonton, and he’s been a decent contributor for the expansion Kraken with eight goals and 13 points in 27 games. He’ll likely get back in on Seattle’s third line, playing left wing with Alexander Wennberg and Joonas Donskoi.
• Some good news injury-wise — Anaheim Ducks forward Max Comtois is expected to make his return to the lineup Saturday night against Colorado. Comtois has played just once since suffering a hand injury on Nov. 11. It’s been a tough season for him with just one assist through 14 games, but after his 16-goal, 33-point season last year, expect some bad shooting luck to turn around for him in a short manner.