The Edmonton Oilers will continue their road trip in California without their starting goalie.
Coach Kris Knoblauch announced on Thursday that Stuart Skinner is not traveling with the team and is still not skating as he recovers from a concussion.
Skinner was injured on March 26 against the Dallas Stars when Mikko Rantanen`s knee accidentally hit his head. He was replaced in that game by Calvin Pickard and was initially considered day-to-day.
“He’s progressing well,” Knoblauch told reporters. “He hasn`t started skating yet, but his recovery is going positively, and we anticipate him beginning workouts and returning to the ice soon.”
Calvin Pickard has taken over as the starting goalie while Skinner is out, with rookie Olivier Rodrigue as the backup.
This season, Skinner has played 49 games with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage.
Knoblauch also mentioned that defenseman Mattias Ekholm will miss this road trip due to injury. Ekholm has been out since March 29 with an undisclosed injury, but it`s expected he will be ready for the playoffs, according to reports.
The Oilers are scheduled to play against the Sharks in San Jose at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT.
