Kopanen has one point (0G / 1A) in nine career NHL games but has primarily played in the AHL the previous several seasons. The 27-year-old forward has 21 points (6G / 15A) in 53 games with the Wilke-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) this season.
Skinner allowed three goals on 23 shots (.870 SV%) in a disappointing loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Monday, but he will return to the crease on Friday against the New Jersey Devils. The 26-year-old Skinner has a 2.88 GAA and .896 SV% in 44 games this season (22-16-4). The Oilers enter the action on Thursday as -132 road favorites against a Devils team that received crushing news on Thursday, announcing that Dougie Hamilton will be out for the remainder of the season.
Hayes is an undrafted 22-year-old forward that made his professional debut last season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL). He has 35 points (17G / 18A) in 44 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season.
Shea showed no signs of an injury in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild, playing a season-high 24:18 time-on-ice, but he will be sidelined week-to-week due to an upper-body injury. The 28-year-old defenseman is averaging 16:55 time-on-ice and has five points (2G / 3A) in 30 games.
On Sunday, in his second game as a Penguin, Novak played 12:01 time-on-ice before exiting the contest with a lower-body injury. The 27-year-old forward is averaging 13:14 time-on-ice and has 22 points (13G / 9A) in 54 games this season.
Aho has 50 points (11G / 39A) in 190 career NHL games but has spent the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL. The 29-year-old defenseman has seven points (0G / 7A) in 17 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) this season.
Laatsch was a seventh-round pick, 215th overall, of the Penguins in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 6'5 defenseman is a product of the University of Wisconsin and scored five points (2G / 3A) in 22 games with the club this season.
The Oilers have won two straight and will roll with Skinner between the pipes on Monday against the Buffalo Sabres. Skinner allowed four goals on 25 shots (.840 SV%) on Saturday but received ample goal support in a 5-4 win over the Dallas Stars. The 26-year-old Skinner has a 2.87 GAA and .897 SV% in 43 games (22-15-4) this season. The Oilers enter Monday's contest as -179 road favorites against a Sabres team amid a six-game losing skid (0-5-1).
Graham was a fifth-round pick, 139th overall, of the New Jersey Devils in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 20-year-old forward has spent the last five seasons in the WHL, including scoring 35 points (13G / 22A) in 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets in 2024-25.
Brazeau was part of a deal that sent Jakub Lauko and Marat Khusnutdinov to the Boston Bruins on Thursday evening. The 27-year-old Brazeau played a career-high 57 games with the Bruins this season, scoring 20 points (10G / 10A) and averaging 12:58 time-on-ice.
Alexeyev was the 31st overall pick of the Capitals in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He has played 77 career NHL games, including five with the Capitals earlier this season, and scored eight career points (1G / 7A).
The Penguins will be hoping the 27-year-old Novak will be able to regain the form he flashed in the 2022-23 season, when he scored 17 goals and added 26 assists in just 51 regular season games. Novak leaves Nashville after amassing 117 points with the franchise across 201 career games.
The Oilers are coming off a disappointing 6-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday and will switch to Skinner between the pipes on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens. The 26-year-old Skinner saved 14 of 16 shots (.875 SV%) in relief of Calvin Pickard in the loss to the Ducks. Skinner has a 2.87 GAA and .897 SV% in 41 games this season (20-15-4).
