For the first time since suffering a dislocated wrist in Game 4 of last spring’s Western Conference Final, Zach Hyman joined the Edmonton Oilers for a full practice on Wednesday. Skating in a regular-coloured jersey, the veteran winger moved freely, handling pucks and taking light shooting reps as the team’s staff watched closely.
“Good. Yeah, I feel good skating,” Hyman said after practice. “Nice to join the group. So, feeling good.”
The target date has been around November 1, but Head Coach Kris Knoblauch shared that it will be “at least a week after that” and Hyman will have to wait a little bit longer to make the lineup.
Zach Hyman says he feels “close” but doctors will decide
Hyman’s road back has been a long one. The 33-year-old suffered a dislocated right wrist in May during the Conference Final against Dallas leaving the game after just over three minutes of ice time. He underwent surgery soon after and missed the remainder of the Oilers playoff run.
The injury came on what looked like a harmless sequence during a collision near the wall with Mason Marchment. The recovery window stretched nearly six months.
“Sometimes the fluky stuff is the worst,” Hyman said with a shrug. “I can’t explain it other than that’s what the result was. But I feel great. I feel refreshed, honestly, mentally refreshed, physically refreshed. First time in a long time I’ve had this much time off.”
That time off, as much as it hurt the Oilers in June, might end up being a quiet advantage now.
“Well, I think November is the first game that I’m eligible to play… I feel close,” he said. “I don’t know if it’ll be the first, but I feel close.”
He mentioned that his readiness will ultimately be a medical call. “I’m always ready to go. That’s how I feel,” he said noting the team’s doctors are there “to protect you from yourself at times.”
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Hyman admits shooting has been toughest during recovery
The Oilers have been cautious with upper-body injuries before and Hyman’s case is especially delicate. Shooting puts violent force through the wrist joint and for a player who earns his goals in the hard areas, any setback could linger.
“Shooting probably [has been hardest],” he admitted. “It’s the most violent motion out of all of them.”
Even with the reduced numbers from last season, Hyman remained a fairly core offensive driver in 2024–25 before his injury with 27 goals and 17 assists in 73 games following his breakout 54-goal campaign in 2023–24.
Without him, the Oilers’ forward group has often looked disjointed. The team’s earlyseason record reflects that imbalance.
“For whatever reason our starts haven’t been the greatest,” Hyman said adding that he still sees resilience within the group. “We’ve had a lot of turnover—guys leaving, guys being injured. It’s not easy when you have that much turnover to find your role, your place.”
Head Coach Kris Knoblauch has spent the first stretch of the season asking his team to “play straighter,” to attack the middle of the ice and simplify. That happens to be the Zach Hyman’s style of direct, hard-on-pucks hockey.
When reporters pointed that out Wednesday, Hyman smiled knowingly. “That’s my game,” he said. “I feel like I’m an important part of the team. One guy can make a difference and I hope that’s the case when I come back.”
Few Oilers embody that ethos more fully. He is the forechecker who wins the puck that leads to a McDavid highlight and the net-front screen that turns a Bouchard shot into a power play goal.
Zach Hyman feels “rejuvenated” being back with the team
Hyman also spoke about the emotional lift that comes just from being back with the team. “The first practice back you’re excited, it’s like a game,” he said. “You feel really rejuvenated to rejoin the group and to practice. You’re just excited to be back with the guys and to feel normal again.”
Now when he returns, whether it’s November 1 or a few days later, Edmonton will get one of its best fit top-line winger back. There’s also every reason to expect Hyman to reassert himself quickly.
His conditioning, by his own account, never slipped and skating without pucks kept him “sharp.” His mental state meanwhile also sounds recharged.
For the top line that Knoblauch has been experimenting with early this season, his return could be a reset. And as Hyman put it, “Whenever I can come back, I’m excited. I just want to help the team win.”
