The Edmonton Oilers might be leading the Pacific Division at the moment, but they were dealt a devastating blow by the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night.
A 5-1 defeat in a crucial final stretch is hardly the outcome the Oilers needed. Moreover, with a leading man expected to be out for the coming three-game road trip, things might get even more challenging for Edmonton.
Zach Hyman Will Not Travel with the Edmonton Oilers
It is difficult to say how the Oilers would have fared had the team not competed in a relatively soft Pacific Division, given the tumultuous season they have had. Even as the NHL approaches the end of the regular season, the Oilers cannot catch a break. Already compromised by the absence of Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers will now have to make do without Zach Hyman.
Knoblauch disclosed an untimely piece of news that Hyman will be absent from the upcoming three-game road trip against the Utah Mammoth, San Jose Sharks, and Los Angeles Kings. The Oilers veteran is expected to join the blue and orange squad at home on April 13 or April 16, at the latest.
Knoblauch confirms Zach Hyman will not travel with the team this upcoming week and will miss the next three games.
Could return on the 13th vs. COL or 16th vs. VAN “at the latest.” #Oilers
— Tony Brar 🚀 (@TonyBrarOTV) April 5, 2026
Draisaitl’s absence was damning enough; the Cologne native last played with the team on March 15 against the Nashville Predators, but has since been sidelined by a lower-body injury. The 30-year-old center has, as expected, been a star performer and one of the NHL’s leading point-scorers, having accumulated 97 points in 65 games. The Oilers had barely acclimated to Draisaitl’s absence when the news of Hyman’s injury emerged.
Hyman is a seasoned, reliable scorer with 31 goals in 57 games this season. The combined absence of Draisaitl and Hyman has already proved disastrous for the Oilers, as they fumbled the game against the Golden Knights by an embarrassing 5-1 margin, breaking their five-game winning streak.
While Draisaitl is expected to start skating this week, he won’t be able to help the Oilers through the last regular-season road trip. With both Hyman and Draisaitl absent, it becomes difficult to ignore the inevitable toll it will take on the Oilers’ power play. Edmonton has just one goal on the man advantage in the last seven games without Draisaitl.
Despite the Oilers’ defeat, Rogers Place on Saturday was animated by a couple of developments: a woman present in the audience gave birth while the game was underway, and another individual got hit in the head by a puck.
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