Game Thread: Wild @ Oilers - Dubnyked?

The Oilers are in for a tough stretch of games over the next two weeks, beginning with a tilt against the Wild on home ice. Former Oiler Devan Dubnyk, who left the team as a Freddy Chabot flop, has found his sea legs in Minnesota and is a good bet to give his old team fits tonight. Chappy put it like this in the game preview:

Dubnyk's been on fire since being dealt to the Wild. A .936 SV% isn't going to be sustainable forever, but it's what he's put out there in fourteen games (11-2-1). Who's hotter in the league right now?

And you can add four shutouts with Minnesota to that outstanding stat line, too.

How to Tune In

The puck drops at 7:00 PM MT on Sportsnet Oilers.

What to Watch for From the Oilers

Once again, the Copper and Blue are crossing the 60 game threshold in the role of playoff spoilers. Nail Yakupov is making the most of that opportunity, with three goals in his last two games and seven points in his last six. There are few things I enjoy more as an Oiler fan these days than watching Yak City succeed.

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What to Watch for From the Wild

From our friends at Hockey Wilderness, another ex-Oiler will hit a huge milestone tonight in another team's silks:

Kyle Brodziak will skate in his 600th game tonight. Brodziak started his career with Edmonton and is in the final year of his contract. His days are especially numbered too considering he may be moved at the trade-deadline.

Final Thought

Darren Dreger weighed in on Jeff Petry contract negotiations today, and it sounds as though all our fears will be confirmed when the trade deadline rolls around on March 2:

Although sources say the two sides have not formally shared numbers, it's believed the Oilers like Petry on a four-year term at no more than $4.5 million per year. As a free agent, Jeff Petry will likely command more term and could fetch $5 million annually.