Mattias Janmark leaves Game 1 against Golden Knights after falling head-first into boards

Mattias Janmark’s return to the Edmonton Oilers’ lineup was short-lived.

The veteran winger blocked a shot with his foot during Game 1 of Edmonton’s first-round series with the L.A. Kings. He finished the rest of the game but didn’t suit up for the rest of the series.

Janmark returned to the Oilers’ lineup on Wednesday in Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights but he suffered an unfortunate injury and left the game in the first period. Janmark caught an edge on his skate as he was pivoting inside of Vegas’ zone and he fell awkwardly with the back of his head landing hard against the boards.

Janmark was originally drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the third round of the 2013 draft and made his NHL debut a few years later after being traded to the Dallas Stars. Janmark signed with the Chicago Blackhawks as a free agent and was later traded to the Golden Knights.

Janmark has eight goals and 25 points over 62 career games in the NHL playoffs. He was a part of the Stars’ run to the Stanley Cup Final in the summer of 2020 and he reached the Conference Finals with the Golden Knights in 2021.

Derek Ryan came out of the lineup when Janmark drew in on Wednesday and the Oilers again opted to roll with 11 forwards and seven defencemen. According to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic, Ryan was unavailable for Game 1 because of an illness.

If both Ryan and Janmark aren’t able to play in Game 2 on Saturday, veteran Devin Shore would be the likely candidate to draw into the lineup. The Oilers could also play rookie Dylan Holloway, who finished off the season playing for the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL after playing 51 games in Edmonton.