Edmonton’s mounting injury crisis hits a breaking point as the star winger joins five other sidelined forwards, forcing a depleted lineup to face the Canucks without reinforcements.
Zach Hyman did not travel with the Edmonton Oilers to Vancouver and won't play tonight, the latest in a growing list of Edmonton injuries. Head coach Mike Babcock is expected to provide an update after practice.
** Update: Babcock has shared that Hyman suffered the injury in the preseason finale and will be out two weeks. Clearly, it was something he thought he could battle through as the forward was in the season opener. Edmonton seems to be taking the cautious approach.
Babcock has maintained that injuries aren't an excuse and that they create opportunities for others, but as the list grows, it's hard to believe the Oilers won't wonder when they can catch a break.
Clearly, this is not good news for the Oilers, who are already without Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jason Dickinson, Matt Savoie, Alec Regula, and Mattias Janmark.
Injuries are always a concern at the start of any NHL season, but this has to feel like it's getting ridiculous for the Oilers.
Here are the projected lines for Thursday's game against the Canucks:
Forwards
- Podkolzin - McDavid - Draisaitl
- Jones - Dach - Kapanen
- Formenton - Michaels - Joseph
- Howard - Samanski - Frederic
Defense
- Ekholm - Bouchard
- Shea - Murphy
- Walman - Mukhamadullin
Levi gets the start in goal.
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