Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman will miss at least the first three weeks of the 2025-26 season as he continues recovering from a wrist injury suffered during the Western Conference Final last May, head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters Thursday.
Knoblauch said the Oilers are targeting a return date of Nov. 1.
“Maybe a little bit earlier, maybe a little bit later, but around that timeline,” Knoblauch said.
Hyman suffered a dislocated wrist that necessitated surgery after a collision with Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment on May 27.
The Oilers are scheduled to open the regular season against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 8.
Hyman told reporters on Wednesday that his recovery was “progressing really, really well” and that he hoped to be available to play in the season opener against the Flame.
The winger also noted, however, that he knew from his past recovery from ACL surgery in 2019 that there could be “disappointment” if recovery timelines change.
He said that he had been able to focus on training his legs over the summer and was now concentrating on “building strength back into the wrist.”
Hyman has previously said he wore a cast for two months after undergoing surgery.
He was still wearing a brace as recently as late August, when he attended Hockey Canada’s Olympic orientation camp in Calgary.
Replacing Hyman, who scored 27 goals and 44 points in 73 games last season, will require lineup shuffling for the Oilers at both even strength and on the man advantage.
Hyman spent most of his time at 5v5 flanking McDavid on the Oilers’ top line during the 2024-25 campaign.
Meanwhile only McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and defenseman Evan Bouchard averaged more power-play time per game than Hyman did last season, according to Natural Stat Trick.
When asked Wednesday who could potentially fill in for Hyman if he was sidelined for the season start, Knoblaugh declined to commit to any frontrunners.
He did, however, name Trent Frederic, David Tomasek, Andrew Mangiapane, Matt Savoie and Kasperi Kapanen as players who could get a look on the right side in training camp.
“We would like to kind of get a third line that’s hard to play against, maybe more of a checking role and a little more physicality. So who of those guys fit on that line might take away somebody who might be able to play in the top six,” Knoblauch said Wednesday.
Knoblauch concluded, “We’re very open-minded on a lot of possibilities.”
Tomasek and Mangiapane opened training camp by skating with McDavid, per Oilers reporter Tony Brar.
The Oilers’ lineups during the preseason will give a better indication of who might get a shot at skating with McDavid in Hyman’s absence, starting with Sunday’s matchup against the visiting Flames.
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