PS G3: Canucks at Oilers

Tonight’s game between the Oilers and Vancouver will be the first real showcase for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in front of the fanbase. Although the lineups haven’t been published yet, season ticket holders didn’t get to see his first preseason game and it seems reasonable they’d get their chance in game 2.

Shawn Horcoff and Sam Gagner should also play tonight and based on Taylor Hall’s comments about being rusty there’s a chance he plays too.

One extremely disappointing item from the Oilers came yesterday in a blog from Bob Stauffer at their site. In the article, Stauffer says:

• Despite Hemsky’s injury woes the last couple of years, the minimum the Oilers would likely get for the right winger if they went the trade route would be a “Dustin Penner-like return”, according to one NHL Senior Executive.

Stauffer is certainly connected and knows which way the wind blows. Is this Stauffer blue-skying or is there something in the wind? I wrote on this very subject just two days ago and believe the conclusions drawn in that post are right on track.

I’ll post the lines as soon as I can, please post them in comments when you see them.