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The Edmonton Oilers received unfortunate news regarding forward Zach Hyman on Wednesday. Hyman is undergoing surgery for an injury he suffered in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. As a result, he will miss the remainder of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. And depending on the injury, he could miss the start of next season, as well.
It's an unfortunate turn of events for Hyman, who has made an impact in these playoffs. He played at a near point-per-game pace during this postseason. And he had a two-goal game for Edmonton in Game 3 when they defeated the Dallas Stars 6-1. Overall, he had five goals and 11 points in 15 postseason contests.
An underrated aspect of his game, though, is his physicality. The Oilers forward led all skaters with 111 hits in 15 games. He has 29 more hits than Sam Bennett, who ranks second with 82.
The Oilers will need the next man to step up without Hyman on the ice. And there is no shortage of players who could fill this void. Here are two Oilers who need to bring their game to the next level for the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Evander Kane can help replace lost offense
Evander Kane has become one of Edmonton's more important depth forwards. Kane has provided the Oilers with secondary goal scoring over the course of the three seasons that he has spent with the team. However, his scoring in the postseason has not quite been there.
He has yet to score five goals in a single postseason with Edmonton to this point. Kane is close to achieving the mark this season, as he has four goals and 10 points in 15 games. He will need to start scoring goals in order to aid Edmonton's Stanley Cup pursuit. Without Hyman, the Oilers are without a goal scorer who has a nose for the net unrivaled in the NHL.
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Kane has to find his scoring touch sooner rather than later. If he doesn't, the Oilers are in real trouble. Especially if Edmonton matches up with the Florida Panthers again in the Stanley Cup Final. Florida is an incredibly deep team with scoring all over their lineup. Kane has to be able to support Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl if the team wants to win it all this year.
Vasily Podkolzin brings physical element without Zach Hyman
The Oilers traded for Vasily Podkolzin over the summer in a deal with the Vancouver Canucks. Edmonton hoped the young forward could resurrect his career and become an offensive presence on their team. This didn't come to pass, as the 23-year-old scored eight goals and 24 points this season.
However, he did bring an element the Oilers certainly welcomed: physicality. Podkolzin threw 211 hits through 82 games during the regular season, which is by far a career high. He is one of 30 players in the NHL to record more than 200 hits during the regular season. And he has carried this physicality through to the postseason.
Podkolzin ranks fourth in the NHL for hits this postseason with 70, according to Quant Hockey. He, along with Hyman, are two of four players to record 70 or more hits during these playoffs. The other two players both play for the Panthers.
Without Hyman hitting everything that moves, Podkolzin is going to need to step up. The Oilers would certainly like to see him score more, as he has just one goal this postseason. But if he can become more of a menace on the ice, Edmonton has a fighting chance to win the Stanley Cup this season.
