Edmonton Oilers: Brandon Davidson Re-injures Shoulder
Saturday was great for the Edmonton Oilers, when they activated three players from the injured reserve and defeated Dallas 5-2. However, with every gift seems to come a price, especially for the Oilers.
Edmonton was expecting Brandon Davidson to return sooner rather than later, but he re-injured his shoulder. Davidson will go for an MRI and further evaluation. The 25-year-old defenseman is incredibly injury prone, and was hurt in the preseason.
Edmonton will have to make do without him, but so far, they’ve seemed fine getting by without him… for the most part.
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Benning Stepping Up
Before his injury, Davidson played on the right side of the bottom pairing with Darnell Nurse. Rookie blueliner Matthew Benning has stepped up in his place, as well as veteran Eric Gryba. However, it seems that Benning is doing a better job of securing that third-pairing spot.
The 6-foot, 202-pound defenseman has three assists so far this season, and is a plus-6. With 14 hits and nine shot blocks in just 10 games, Benning seems to be the perfect fit on the bottom-pairing, and is bringing physicality and a complete overall game.
Not to mention, the 22-year-old is incredibly careful of the puck, and boasts a 1.8 relative Corsi. He doesn’t seem to struggle too much with possession, unlike Eric Gryba, and is also jumping up in the play and starting breakouts. Overall, he is doing an outstanding job filling in for an injured Davidson.
Russell Rising
Also stepping up in wake of Davidson’s injury is defenseman Kris Russell. He currently holds the top-four, right-handed position on defense, and is proving to be excellent in that aspect. Not only is he a supreme shot blocker, but he brings physicality and excellent defensive awareness. When he is on the ice, he knows how to stop the opposition, and protect the crease.
Russell also eats up minutes on the penalty kill, and is an important factor when it comes to special teams. A fluent skater and skilled blueliner, the 29-year-old defenseman is making the most of his one-year tryout with the Oilers.
The timetable for Davidson’s return is unknown as of now. There will be more updates to come this week.
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