Klefbom expected back early February
Oscar should be a grouch after being out for a month with a broken pinky finger.
But Edmonton Oilers defenceman Oscar Klefbom is at least close to being back on the ice with his teammates for practices, even if playing a game probably won’t happen until early February.
“He has to get the pins out,” said Oilers coach Ken Hitchcock. “But if he’s given the green light, he’s still a few days away from being on the ice. We’re hopeful it works out and he’s healed and he’ll be fine and out with us some time next week.”
The Oilers would love to have their No. 1 defenceman back before the all-star break, which starts Jan. 23. But don’t count on it. He has to get back in playing shape and he has to be able to handle and shoot pucks, as well as defend.
“That may be a little quick, seeing him before the break,” Hitchcock said.
Klefbom could play Feb. 2 in Philadelphia or Feb. 3 in Montreal. He has missed 13 games since stopping a shot in Colorado Dec. 11.
The Oilers are 4-9 without the blue-liner, who was averaging 25:24 of ice time and had 15 points in 31 games before being hurt. Darnell Nurse has taken his spot on the power play as the point man, and five-on-five, he’s been eating up his minutes, playing more than 30 minutes a night three times. He’s also had 11 points in 13 games.
The Oilers have eight defencemen with Brandon Manning, Matt Benning and Kevin Gravel as No. 6-7-8 in the rotation. The top five are Nurse, Adam Larsson, Kris Russell, Caleb Jones and Alex Petrovic, although Petrovic is out of the lineup and in concussion protocol.
Klefbom would give them nine, far too many. And we’re not counting Andrej Sekera (Achilles tear), who is practising but could join the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors in a few weeks on a conditioning stint.