Zach Hyman has been a force throughout the playoffs, leading the NHL with 109 hits heading into Game 4. But on Tuesday night, the Edmonton Oilers’ hard-hitting winger found himself on the receiving end.
Midway through the first period of Edmonton’s 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars, Hyman took a glancing hit from Mason Marchment while exiting the defensive zone. He immediately dropped his stick, clutched his right arm, and quickly left the ice, heading straight to the locker room with the medical staff. The 32-year-old did not return, and head coach Kris Knoblauch had no post-game update.
Despite Hyman’s early exit, the Oilers responded with a strong team effort that propelled them to a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Final — just one win away from the Stanley Cup Final.
“Everyone stepped up,” Knoblauch said. “I liked how everyone just played a little bit better.”
With Hyman out, Knoblauch shuffled his lines, rotating Trent Frederic and Corey Perry alongside Connor McDavid, while leaning on Leon Draisaitl in the third period, double-shifting him to maintain pressure.
“You can’t replace Zach,” Draisaitl said, after recording a goal and an assist. “But collectively, we have what it takes to fill the gap.”
Hyman had entered the game with five goals, six assists, and 27 more playoff hits than the next-closest player, Florida’s Sam Bennett. He added two more hits before leaving. The Toronto native scored 54 goals last season and had 16 in the postseason as Edmonton made a run to the Final, falling in seven games to Florida.
Signed in 2021 after six years with the Maple Leafs, Hyman posted 27 goals and 44 points in 73 games this season.
“It’s a big loss,” said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who notched two more assists Tuesday, bringing his series total to nine points. “He’s such an important part of our team, physically and emotionally.”
The Oilers racked up 50 hits on the night — more than double the Stars — with Vasily Podkolzin and Kasperi Kapanen leading the charge. The reunited third line of Podkolzin, Mattias Janmark, and Viktor Arvidsson helped fill the physical void.
“We responded well,” Draisaitl said. “Guys lower in the lineup took on more minutes and did a great job.”
Already battling injuries — with Mattias Ekholm nearing a return and Connor Brown sidelined after a heavy hit in Game 3 — Edmonton may dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen in Game 5 if Hyman and Brown remain unavailable.
“He’s a huge piece,” goaltender Stuart Skinner said of Hyman, who made 28 saves in the win. “He grinds, he does the little things right, and above all, he’s an amazing teammate. Everybody loves that guy.”
Corey Perry, the 40-year-old veteran and 2007 Cup winner, added: “Hyman’s a dog on the bone. If he doesn’t have the puck, he’s hunting it down. That’s Zach Hyman hockey.”
For now, the Oilers await an update on Hyman’s condition as they prepare for Game 5 in Dallas, just one victory away from another shot at the Stanley Cup.
“Everyone’s ready to step up,” said Nugent-Hopkins. “It kind of felt like we were playing for Zach.”
