One of the main themes throughout the 2024-25 season, has been the almost ridiculous amount of injuries the Edmonton Oilers have had to endure. The casualty list includes a who's who of elite NHL talent such as Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm, as well as other prominent players like Zach Hyman, Evander Kane and even Stuart Skinner.
Of these, the biggest concern is undoubtedly Ekholm, who is definitely out of the Oilers' first round series against the Los Angeles Kings, and with the growing suspicion that his season might be over altogether. This scenario would of course be a significant blow to the team, given he is their defensive rock and one of the leaders.
However, what about the other walking wounded who have been clogged up the injured list for the Oilers? Well, there were some welcome returns to the ice on Friday for practice in San Jose, which will assuredly provide a boost for the team ahead of Game 1 in Los Angeles on Monday night.
The return of an Oilers' big goal-scoring threat
Perhaps the biggest boost was the return of Hyman, who missed the final three games of the regular season. As a whole he missed his most games in a full 82-game schedule since 2018-19, but still managed to finish second on the Oilers with 27 goals.
The Toronto native is vital to the Oilers' quest for a second consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final, after he led all NHL players with 16 goals during the playoffs last season. Unsurprisingly he was paired on the first line with McDavid, as well as Connor Brown, for Friday's practice.
The opposite of unsurprising saw Kane also taking part in practice, with it seemingly more clear than ever that he will feature at some point during the series against the Kings. He has not played for the Oilers since Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final last season.
Evander Kane can be an X-factor for the Oilers
The polarizing winger is just the type of player the Oilers need for the playoffs, with his combination of physical play, talent and ability to wind up opponents. He skated on a line alongside Derek Ryan and Max Jones during practice, although it should be noted he has not yet been cleared for contact.
In terms of the blue line, Jake Walman and John Klingberg were paired with Brett Kulak and Cam Dineen respectively. Of the two Walman would be the bigger boost to the Oilers as part of what would be a key second pairing in the playoffs, with Darnell Nurse having to move up to the first pairing alongside Evan Bouchard in the absence of Ekholm.
As per David Staples of the Edmonton Journal, Trent Frederic was also on the ice but it is still unclear what -- if any --action he will see against the Kings. Staples was too polite to say it, but up to this point the trade acquisition of Frederic has been a disaster.
Overall though, the Oilers are indeed getting back to a much healthier place, with the one aforementioned significant absence. As per Derek Van Diest of NHL.com, Hyman said: "We didn’t look too wounded on the ice today,” said Hyman, who missed the last three games of the regular season. “We’re good. We’re obviously missing a big piece on the back end (in Ekholm), but we just have to pull through and everybody just has to step up."
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