Ennis Out Indefinitely

Oilers coach, Dave Tippett, announced that F Tyler Ennis will be out indefinitely after suffering an ankle injury in Wednesday’s game three.

The injury came after Ennis and, Chicago forward, Kirby Dach collided behind the Oilers net. Dach seemed to catch Ennis in the the numbers on the play, but the play went uncalled. Take a look at the replay below and you can be the judge.

Ennis was in a lot of discomfort in the immediate aftermath of the hit and seemed to be favouring his right ankle. He was helped off the ice and was not putting any weight on his right leg. He did not return to the game.

In his absence the Oilers will have to find a replacement. Ennis has been one of the more encouraging forwards throughout this series so far, offering the team a level of speed and tenaciousness that can only be aptly compared to Kailer Yamamoto. He has spent the bulk of his time playing alongside Leon Draisaitl and Yamamoto.

In my mind there are only two viable options available to the team to replace him, either Joakim Nygard or Patrick Russell. Nygard would bring a lot of speed into the lineup but there have been some questions surrounding his ability to produce offence. Russell, on the other hand, showed well in training camp and has proven that he can be a force to reckoned with in the offensive zone.

Time will tell, the choice will be an important one as the Oilers prepare for a do-or-die situation as they take on the Blackhawks in game four this Friday.