3:40pm: The Oilers have announced that Larsson will be out for six to eight weeks after fracturing his right fibula.
12:30pm: The Edmonton Oilers have recalled Evan Bouchard from the minor leagues, assigning Ethan Bear to the Bakersfield Condors in the process. This might be more than a quick stint for Bouchard however, as the team also placed Adam Larsson on long-term injured reserve.
Larsson played last night for the Oilers and even logged more than 22 minutes of ice time, but will now need to be out for at least ten games after being placed on long-term injured reserve. The shuffle of Bear and Bouchard is to maximize the amount of cap relief the Oilers will receive, but we could easily see both up at some point given the team is only carrying five other defensemen.
This is a huge hit for an Oilers team that was relying on Larsson to be their top right-handed option this season. Bear played just over 15 minutes last night, and Matt Benning logged just under 12. If Bouchard is inserted into the lineup or the other two are moved up, the Oilers will really be pushing their luck in the top-four. Kris Russell could also very well find himself playing on the right side again, with Brandon Manning jumping in if they want Bouchard to continue to play in the minors.