Smith was placed on IR in mid-January and missed 12 of the last 13 games with an undisclosed injury. WIth Smith being activated on Sunday, there's a good chance that he'll make his season debut Monday in Ottawa or Tuesday in the second-game of the back-to-back.
Ryan suffered a fractured finger on Thursday and will most likely come out of the lineup on Saturday. Byron Froese was promoted and is expected to replace Ryan in the bottom-6.
Bouchard was the No.10 overall pick in 2018 and appeared in seven games with the Oilers in 2018-19. The 21-year-old, who had 36 points (7G / 29A) in 54 games with Bakersfield (AHL) last year, will make his season debut vs. the Senators and is expected to skate on the third pair with Kris Russell.
Koekkoek has been steady on the Oilers' blueline this season, so he'll be a bit of a surprise scratch on Tuesday. With Koekkoek sitting, Caleb Jones will draw back into the lineup for the first time since January 16th.
Perry is expected to make his Canadiens' debut on Saturday with Joel Armia sidelined with a concussion. Perry will skate on the third line with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Tyler Tofofli. He had five goals and 16 assists (21 points) in 57 games with the Stars a season ago.
Smith was scheduled to start on Thursday but was scratched due to injury and it’s obviously serious enough to land him on LTIR, which will cost him a minimum of 24 days. With Smith out, Mikko Koskinen is the only NHL-calibre goalie on their roster and could force the Oilers to make a move after losing Anton Forsberg on waivers last week.
Delia has appeared in 18 NHL games over the last three seasons but spent all of 2020 in the AHL, where he was 16-13-1 with a 2.66 GAA and .912 SV%. With no clear No.1 option in Chicago this season, Delia will battle with Malcolm Subban for playing time in the Blackhawks crease. Subban had his moments on Wednesday but still lost decisively, Delia could be in for the same fate tonight.
Arvidsson missed Wednesday's practice but head coach John Hynes expects him to be available for Thursday's game vs. the Blue Jackets. Arvidsson will look to bounce back after a down 2020 season, where he had just 15 goals and 13 assists (28 points) in 57 games.
Koekkoek played well in his first full season with the Blackhawks, particularly after he was paired up with Olli Maatta. The duo put up some terrific underlying numbers and Koekkoek set a new career-high with 10 points (1G / 9A) in just 42 games. In Edmonton, he'll provide some depth on the blueline and will likely serve as a reserve most of the time. However, he should be the first man in whenever there is an injury.
After striking out in a crowded goalie market, the Oilers have brought Smith back to serve next to Mikko Koskinen as their goaltending duo. Smith was 19-12-6 with a 2.95 GAA and .902 SV% in 2020--he now ranks 30th in GAA (2.81) and tied for 45th/49 in SV% (.900) over the last two seasons. Smith's game has eroded in his late-30s and likely won't be a fantasy asset in 2021.
