Zach Hyman drops to the third line on Wednesday vs the Capitals. Is it a demotion, or a calculated move to spark the struggling Oilers and elevate teammates?
The Edmonton Oilers made a lineup move on Wednesday that will raise eyebrows: Zach Hyman, one of the team’s most consistent and hardest-working forwards, has been shifted down to the third line.
On the surface, it looks like a demotion. This top-line staple has been solid in the two games he's played since returning to the lineup from an injury, suddenly skating with Adam Henrique and Trent Frederic instead of Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. But is this really punishment, or is it a sign of trust?
Head coach Kris Knoblauch is juggling injuries up front while trying to find a spark and evoke some energy out of his extremely flat Oilers lineup. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins remains out, as does Kasperi Kapanen. On Wednesday morning, both Noah Philp and Curtis Lazar were ruled out for the rest of the road trip. Meanwhile, the Oilers look out of sync and often lifeless, either being dominated or barely pulling out points in games where they are being badly outplayed.
Cap issues will now force the Oilers into an 11–7 setup, and the forward group needs to be reshuffled. Even so, dropping Hyman is a surprising decision.
Why Move Hyman to The Third Line?
What if this isn’t as much about Hyman as it is about Frederic and Henrique?
Both have been quiet, with the heat on Frederic reaching a boiling point. Edmonton’s third line has struggled to generate anything meaningful. Hyman brings relentless energy, puck retrieval, and reliability — traits Knoblauch may be trying to inject into a couple of stagnant players. Perhaps the thinking here is, if anyone can drag a line into the fight, it’s Hyman.
All the while, an 11-7 formation still allows Knoblauch to move pieces around mid-game, which means double shifting the stars in certain situations. This could mean Hyman plays meaningful minutes with McDavid or Draisaitl after all.
So is this unfair to Hyman? Maybe. It’s hard to call it anything but a step down on paper. But there’s also a strong case that this is Knoblauch leaning heavily on a player he trusts to elevate the lineup around him.
Hyman is the kind of teammate and player who will take this job and make the most of it. If he can't drag Frederic into the battle with him, Hyman may see that as a partial failure on his part. That's the kind of competitor he is.
Rosolvic Gets McDavid Minutes
Meanwhile, Jack Roslovic — red hot right now — has been bumped up to play alongside McDavid and Matt Savoie. It’s a move that rewards Roslovic’s production. He's arguably the most consistent forward on the roster.
Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.