Oilers activate Tobias Rieder, place Kris Russell on injured reserve

Edmonton Oilers defenceman Kris Russell (Jason Franson/CP)

Edmonton Oilers forward Tobias Rieder has been activated off the injured reserved while defenceman Kris Russell has been placed on it.

Rieder, 25, has been sidelined since Nov. 15 with an upper-body injury. In 18 games with the Oilers this season, he has no goals and seven assists.

Rieder signed a one-year $2-million deal with the Oilers this off-season, after the Los Angeles Kings did not qualify the pending restricted free agent.

Russell is just the latest Oilers defenceman to be sidelined by an injury. Earlier in the week, the team also placed defenceman Oscar Klefbom on the IR, and Andrej Sekera hasn’t played all season while he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon. The 31-year-old played just 16:14 Tuesday night — his third lowest total ice-time of the season. In 31 games with the Oilers this season, he has one goal and seven assists.

The Oilers return to action Thursday night when they travel to Winnipeg on the Jets.

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