The Edmonton Oilers may be without forward Zach Hyman for up to two weeks as the team approaches the final stretch of the regular season, head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed Saturday before a 5-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The 33-year-old had been skating through a persistent injury, seeing 16 minutes and 40 seconds of ice time in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The details of the injury have not been disclosed.
“If this was a playoff game, he'd be playing,” Knoblauch said after Saturday's morning skate. “We feel it's best to give him some rest and let him be healthy and not aggravate anything.
“A lot of our players are going through something, but it's something that wasn't getting better, and we wanted to give him some rest (so he) can heal and then he can be 100 percent for the playoffs. Whether that's five days or 14 days, something in that window, then we should be good.”
Hyman has 51 points (31 goals, 20 assists) in 57 games this season. Since the Olympic break, he has accumulated nine goals and 15 points in 18 games, ranking fourth on the team in scoring over that stretch. He missed the first 19 games of the season after dislocating his wrist in Game 4 of the 2025 Western Conference Finals, but Knoblauch clarified that the current injury is unrelated to that previous setback.
The 11-year NHL veteran has compiled 494 points (261 goals, 233 assists) over 710 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs (2015-21) and Edmonton (2021-present).
The Oilers are also monitoring the status of superstar Leon Draisaitl, who has been sidelined with a lower-body injury since March 15. The 30-year-old is expected to resume skating next week during Edmonton's three-game road trip. He has garnered 97 points (35 goals, 62 assists) in 65 games this season and has amassed 1,053 points (434 goals, 619 assists) across 855 career NHL games.
Sitting first in the Pacific Division, the Oilers must manage a roster affected by injuries, including depth center Mattias Janmark. With five regular-season games remaining, the focus is on Hyman and Draisaitl recovering to head into the postseason fully fit.
