Kris Knoblauch confirms lineup change for Game 1 of SCF.
The Edmonton Oilers head coach is making a change for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The Stanley Cup Final has finally arrived with Game 1 set to kick off later tonight, and it sounds like the Edmonton Oilers will be shaking up their lineup after a week long layoff.
On Saturday, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch revealed that Oilers veteran forward Warren Foegele would be drawing back into the lineup as the Oilers embark on one of the most important series in recent franchise history. It is a bold move when you consider the fact that Foegele has been out of the lineup since Game 3 of the Western Conference Final, but the Oilers rookie head coach has made his decision.
Although not officially confirmed by Knoblauch himself, it would appear as though Oilers veteran forward Derek Ryan will be the odd man out tonight judging based off of the Oilers' morning skate. Ryan was a fixture in the Oilers lineup for the majority of the Western Conference Final but did notably sit out Game 5 of that series.
It is unclear if this decision is performance based, Ryan recorded no points and was a -1 in each of his last 5 games against the Dallas Stars, or if Knoblauch is merely rotating bodies in and out of the lineup in an effort to keep the legs of the workhorses in his bottom 6 fresh from game to game.
