Mike Babcock’s injury update didn’t make for optimistic listening as the Edmonton Oilers begin the 2026-27 regular season.

In the morning scrum before the home opener, he surprised reporters by saying that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would not play tonight versus the Vancouver Canucks. But his follow-up reports on other injured Oilers weren’t the most optimistic.

“He left practice there with I don’t know how many minutes left, and so anytime someone leaves practice, you always get a little bit nervous,” said Babcock on Nuge’s injury, which is deemed lower-body. 

“Anytime they tell me day to day, that usually means two weeks is what I go by,” he said of the potential timeline. 

That led reporters to ask about Jason Dickinson, who was already placed on injured reserve, as well as Matt Savoie, Frederik Andersen, and Mattias Janmark.

“When I watch Dicky, he hasn’t been able to push it yet, so that means you’re a bit away,” said Babcock. “Savvy, I think at the start of the week was eight weeks away…Freddie, I think maybe December, and Janny probably - I don’t know this one. He’s a ways away.”

These statements aren’t exactly the same as what general manager Stan Bowman said on The Jason Gregor Show on Monday.

“He will start skating on his own, likely in the next week or so,” Bowman said about Savoie. “Then from that point forward we will have a better gauge of where he will be. I think later in October.

“Andersen will be longer than Savoie. I have no set timeline. Janmark isn’t close to playing either. He is several weeks away from playing.”

Bowman continued on Dickinson, “I don’t have a timeline. It isn’t a serious injury. He has been skating and practicing, and he’s not far away from playing. I don’t think this will be very serious. He is a big part of our team, and before he got hurt in San Jose last season, he was really effective for us.”

However, for tonight’s game, Max Jones is likely to take Nuge’s place, unless they use 11 forwards and seven defencemen. No official lines have been put out as of 2 p.m. MT.

Tristan Jarry will start.

Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of PreGaming and Oilersnation After Dark. He’s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4.

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365