Mike Smith declares himself available for tomorrow’s game at STL. He’ll have to be activated off LTIR.
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Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mike Smith declares himself ready to play
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
By Zach Laing
Dec 28, 2021, 14:22 ESTUpdated: Dec 28, 2021, 17:12 EST
Much like Michael Scott declared bankruptcy in season four of The Office, Mike Smith has declared himself ready to play hockey again.
Smith, 39, has appeared in only three games this season before he suffered a lower-body injury in an Oct. 19 game against the Anaheim Ducks.
He’s been slowly working himself back from injury, and according to The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman, he’s ready to go.
In his wake, Miko Koskinen and Stuart Skinner have held up admirably. Koskinen has posted a 12-6 record, a .902 save percentage, a 3.16 GAA while saving five goals below average.
While his numbers haven’t been pretty, Skinner has been a stud in the games he has played. His 4-5 record isn’t indicative of his play as he’s posted a .916 save percentage, a 2.70 GAA while saving 1.5 goals above average.
The Oilers are scheduled to play the St. Louis Blues Wednesday on the road.
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@oilersnation.com.
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