Things didn’t go exactly according to plan for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday evening in their regular season opener against the rival Vancouver Canucks, as they fell behind by a 5-2 score before eventually battling back to knot the score.
However, Vancouver’s Paul Cotter scored his second goal of the game in overtime, securing a 6-5 win for the Canucks. Both teams will get together again on Thursday, this time in British Columbia.
The Oilers have already announced that goaltender Devon Levi, who was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres during the offseason, will get his first start in an Edmonton uniform. However, they’ve since announced that they’ll be without another top forward.
The Edmonton Oilers Announced Zach Hyman Is Not Available To Play Against Vancouver On Thursday
Before their game at Rogers Arena on Thursday evening, the Oilers, who are already without forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jason Dickinson, announced that forward Zach Hyman won’t be able to play.
Per Oilers Insider Jack Michaels, Hyman is suffering from the effects of an injury that occurred in their preseason finale against the divisional rival Calgary Flames, and will miss approximately the next two weeks.
“Hyman won’t play tonight, an approximate timeline of two weeks, occurred in the preseason finale vs Calgary,” Michaels wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Earlier on Thursday, the Oilers announced that both Nugent-Hopkins and Matt Savoie have been placed on their long-term injured reserve list, while they’ve put Alec Regula on long-term IR.
Additionally, they called up Josh Samanski under emergency conditions.
Last season, Hyman was limited to appearing in just 58 regular-season games, during which he scored 31 goals and 21 assists.
He skated in Edmonton’s loss against the Canucks on Tuesday, and didn’t have any shots on goal while also registering a plus-one rating.
Zach Hyman Is One Of Edmonton’s Top Forwards And Sources Of Offense
Hyman, who was originally selected by the Florida Panthers in the 2010 NHL Draft, joined the Toronto Maple Leafs organization in 2015 after they acquired his rights from Florida.
He made his NHL debut in February 2016 and scored his first NHL goal shortly afterward. Hyman became a full-time Maple Leafs player the following season and eventually established himself as a top-line forward.
After signing a four-year extension with Toronto in 2017, Hyman left as a free agent in 2021 and signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers. His offensive production continued to climb, culminating in a career-high 54 goals during the 2023-24 season. He added 16 goals in the playoffs as Edmonton reached the Stanley Cup Final.
Hyman missed part of the 2025 playoffs because of a wrist injury and had to watch as his teammates returned to the Stanley Cup Final, only to lose again to the Florida Panthers. but returned the following season.
After the trade of longtime defenseman Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks during the summer of 2026, Hyman became an alternate captain for the Oilers.
He’s appeared in 712 career NHL games, and has scored 261 goals with 234 assists for 495 points. Additionally, he’s added 42 goals and 33 assists in 106 career games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Oilers Lose Another Top Forward For Multiple Weeks