The Edmonton Oilers announced on Saturday that they have officially activated forward Zach Hyman from long term injured reserve. This also means he will make his season debut Saturday night as the Oilers play the Carolina Hurricanes amidst their seven game road trip.
His return comes after suffering a wrist injury during the Western Conference Finals matchup against the Dallas Stars during last season's playoff run. His injury held the Oilers winger out of the entirety of their Stanley Cup Finals appearance and forced him to have surgery in the off season.
Despite his long road to recovery, it seems that head coach Kris Knoblauch does not plan to ease Hyman in. According to their lineup at morning skate, Hyman will join his usual spot on the top line alongside captain Connor McDavid and with rookie Matt Savoie.
The @EdmontonOilers morning skate:
— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) November 15, 2025
Savoie-McDavid-Hyman
Podkolzin-Draisaitl-Roslovic
Mangiapane-Henrique-Frederic
Janmark-Philp-Lazar
Tomasek
Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Walman
Kulak-Regula
Emberson
Skinner
Pickard
Hyman's return could not come at a better time with the Oilers performance this season. Adding him into the top line winger spot, pushes other players down the lineup, hopefully strengthening the depth. This has been a problem for the Oilers as they have struggled to produce offence and generate chances at even strength.
Players to watch
Zach Hyman
Making his season debut, all eyes will be on Hyman from the fans to the broadcasters, he is sure to generate plenty of attention tonight. Especially amidst the Oilers on-ice struggles, Hyman will surely be looked upon to hit the ground running.
Matt Savoie
Savoie enters Saturday night's game amidst a two-game point streak, recording three points (one goal, two assists) over that span. He also keeps his spot on the Oilers top line alongside McDavid and Hyman and will look to continue his good play and keep his streak alive. It will also be a notable story to see how he plays alongside Hyman in this match.
Stuart Skinner
There has been plenty of emphasis placed on the Oilers goaltenders in recent days, especially with their shaky performances. Stuart Skinner enters this game with a 6-4-3 record and a 2.75 goals against average as well as .889 save percentage on the season. This game will be a tough test against one of the league's top teams.