The Edmonton Oilers can finally exhale. After a grueling first half of the season that saw them travel to the Eastern Conference an absurd number of times, they

The Minnesota Wild, the hottest team in the NHL, finish off a back-to-back Sunday afternoon against the Colorado Avalanche.

Prior to Saturday’s game against the Oilers, the Wild activated defensemen Jonas Brodin and Jacob Middleton as well as forwards Mats Zuccarello and Vinnie Hinostroza. Bringing back those four players clearly gave the Wild more depth and strength, and they had no problems against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers.

While the Tristan Jarry acquisition got much of the headline, the Edmonton Oilers made another gamble to improve their team last week. While the potential upgrade in net is important, the Oilers added Spencer Stastney to help offset the loss of Brett Kulak.

The Wild have several players who are currently day-to-day going into Saturday's matinée with the Oilers, including Brodin, Marcus Johansson, Mats Zuccarello, Jake Middleton and Vinnie Hinostroza. Goaltedner Filip Gustavsson is slated to get the start on home ice on Saturday.

The recent goaltender trade that saw Stuart Skinner exit the Edmonton Oilers organization represents one of the final touches of the roster remake/remodel for general manager Stan Bowman. His version of the team involves several new feature players added over the last 16 months.

As the Edmonton Oilers prepare to conclude their five-game road trip, all eyes will be on their afternoon matchup against the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena. This game promises excitement, especially after the Oilers' recent 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins,

Connor Ingram faces Vegas Sunday, and the Oilers' lack of attention to detail and defensive lapses against the Wild offer little confidence for his starting debut.