Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman remains a key question mark for the start of the 2025-26 season after undergoing surgery to repair a severe wrist injury.
An injury that took him out of the Stanley Cup Final last season was a devastating blow to the forward and the Edmonton Oilers. His dislocated wrist and torn ligaments late in the season meant serious rehab time over the summer.
Hyman has been cleared to train with the team, but there’s still no certainty about his readiness for training camp.
Hyman described the injury as a moment of emotional devastation. “Some things in life you can’t control, and this is one of them,” he told the media during the Final. He broke down and was thankful for the rest of the team, who helped to pick him up when he was feeling pretty low. Not being able to contribute when the team needed him most was a tough pill to swallow.
Will Hyman Start The Season on LTIR?
The injury recovery still has no set timeline. That led to speculation that he could begin the season on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) if needed.
The issue for the Oilers is cap space. Putting Hyman on LTIR provides them some room early in the season, but if he's not far from returning, Edmonton would need to keep space open to bring him back. Adding a player or spending the money to fill a hole created by his absence only complicates things when he's cleared.
And, despite not knowing if he'll be good for Game 1, it's not like Hyman is going to miss months of action.
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