The 6-5-4 Edmonton Oilers are waiting patiently for the return of star forward Zach Hyman. Although his original target date of November 1 has passed, head coach Kris Knoblauch revealed that the plan is for the 33-year-old to play at some point in the next week.
“Whether he gets back in on Monday [against the Columbus Blue Jackets] or later on, on that [seven-game] road trip, we expect him back within one week,” Knoblauch told reporters on Friday.
That's excellent news for an Oilers squad that is averaging 3.07 goals per game this season, good for 18th in the National Hockey League. Hyman has been practicing with the team since October 22.
The veteran has already been ruled out against the league-leading Colorado Avalanche at Rogers Place on Saturday night, so he'll have his first chance to make his 2025-26 debut against the Blue Jackets on Monday.
If he is held out of that contest, he'll still have three chances to get into the lineup next week. Edmonton embarks on a seven-game, 11-day road trip between November 12-22, which begins against the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night.
The Oilers will then take on the Blue Jackets — this time in Columbus — on Thursday before travelling to Carolina to play the Hurricanes on Saturday night. The road trip concludes with stops in Buffalo, Washington, Tampa Bay and Florida the following week.
If Knoblauch's new timeline holds true, Hyman will play for the first time this season against either the Blue Jackets, Flyers or Hurricanes.
Zach Hyman will be a huge boost for Oilers
Although the Oilers haven't exactly missed Hyman on the powerplay — their man advantage is converting at a prolific 35% clip, good for second in the NHL — the 5-on-5 scoring could certainly use a boost.
Hyman is not too far removed from a career-best 54-goal season in 2023-24, and he managed 44 points in 73 regular-season games last year before adding another 11 in 15 Stanley Cup Playoff contests.
The former fifth-round pick hasn't played since dislocating his wrist during Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars on May 27. The Oilers ended up winning the series in five games.
Along with Hyman, Mattias Janmark is also nearing a return to the lineup. That will happen “within the next couple of days,” Knoblauch said on Friday.
The 32-year-old, who managed 18 points in 80 games last year, hasn't yet played in 2025-26 due to an undisclosed injury. He'll be battling for a spot in the bottom-six when healthy, while Hyman should immediately slot back somewhere on the top two lines.
The Oilers have lost two games in a row and five in seven tries dating back to October 25, and they'll be welcoming both Hyman and Janmark back with open arms when the time comes.
First, they'll look to get back in the win column against a terrific Avalanche club on Saturday; puck is set to drop in Alberta just past 10:00 p.m. ET.
