Kris Knoblauch makes controversial lineup change on Saturday.

The Edmonton Oilers will be making a number of changes to their lineup on Saturday ahead of a clash against the Chicago Blackhawks, and one of those lineup changes is raising a few eyebrows and even causing some minor controversy.

Oilers play by play voice Jack Michaels reported on Saturday that the Oilers would be making 4 lineup changes in total with both veteran forward Derek Ryan and veteran defenseman Troy Stecher slotting into the lineup tonight while veteran forward Jeff Skinner and veteran defenseman Josh Brown will have to watch from the sidelines.

It appears to be the exclusion of Skinner that has caused some consternation which makes sense when you consider that the Oilers made him one of their primary offseason acquisitions. Not only is Skinner currently on a deal with a cap hit of $3 million he signed with the Oilers, but he has produced offensively this season with 7 goals and 8 assists for 15 points over his 40 games played.

Here are some of the reactions to the news, specifically as it pertains to Jeff Skinner being taken out of the lineup:

Skinner has found a way to continue to produce despite playing in very limited minutes with the Oilers. Over the course of his last 4 games Skinner has a point in 3 of them, with the one exception being the Oilers most recent game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Skinner however was only on the ice for 8 minutes and 16 seconds in that particular game, giving him limited time to produce offensively with so little ice time.

Only time will tell if this decision has any impact on the Oilers this evening.