Nurse, Ceci and Kane out, Brobeg and Stecher in as Oilers take last trip to Mullett Arena against Coyotes

The Edmonton Oilers will be without Darnell Nurse, Cody Ceci, and Evander Kane as they help close out the Arizona Coyotes’ tenure in the desert.

Kane will miss his second straight game due to maintenance purposes, and now Nurse and Ceci will join him. It’s well-deserved time off and a chance for some more rest for this trio as the Oilers’ regular season winds down.

The Oilers’ forward group will remain unchanged from their soiree against the Sharks, while Troy Stecher and the recently recalled Philip Brobeg will man the clubs third pair.

For Broberg, it will mark his first NHL action since a November 22 game when he played just 5:17 of ice-time. But for him, a stint in the AHL has proved more than worthwhile, as the 6’3 rearguard has racked up five goals and 35 points in 48 games this season. He’s seemingly taken a big step forward in his game, and is now rewarded with the recall.

Stecher, meanwhile, returns to Arizona after playing for them earlier this season. Since he was acquired by the Oilers at the trade deadline, he’s only drawn in for five games, but has been rock solid in them, scoring two assists and playing 15:56 per night. With him on the ice at 5v5 across 77 minutes, the Oilers have controlled 52.35 percent of the shot attempt share, 58.56 percent of the expected goal share and 53.33 percent of the scoring chance share.

Oh yeah, and the team has controlled 83.33 percent of the goals scored, outscoring the opposition 5-1.

Edmonton isn’t playing for much now, and the Canucks securing the Pacific Division with a win over the Flames Tuesday secured that. What they are playing for, however, is a chance to secure a few more wins, get ready for the playoffs, and in the case of players like Broberg and Stecher, potentially impress ahead of the offseason.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.