For the Edmonton Oilers, the 2024-25 season ended in painfully familiar fashion: another Stanley Cup Final loss to Brad Marchand‘s Florida Panthers. But for Connor McDavid’s teammate, forward Zach Hyman, the heartbreak carried a different weight. The veteran was forced to miss the decisive series due to a dislocated wrist, watching from the sidelines as his team fell short once again.
The 33-year-old forward, who signed a seven-year, $38.5 million deal with Edmonton, had been one of the team’s most reliable postseason performers. Yet a collision with Dallas Stars’ Mason Marchment in the Western Conference Final cut his run short. From that point on, the Oilers battled without one of their most physical and dependable players.
For Hyman, watching his teammates push for hockey’s ultimate prize without being able to contribute was almost unbearable. The emotions, he admitted, were harder to manage than the injury itself.
How much did Edmonton miss Hyman in the final?
Before the injury, Hyman embodied playoff hockey. He led all players with 111 hits while adding 11 points in 15 games on Edmonton’s top line and power play. His net-front presence and physical play were glaringly absent in the bruising Final against Florida.
Compounding the Oilers’ problems, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins played through an undisclosed injury that limited him to just two points in six games. With scoring support diminished, Edmonton’s offensive engine faltered at the worst possible time.
What did Hyman say about the experience?
Speaking with NHL.com, Hyman didn’t hold back on the emotional toll of being sidelined. “It was miserable. It’s very horrible, very hard. No matter what, you’re stressed whether you’re up or down. You have no control. You’re helpless. At the same time, you’re trying to keep it all together and be supportive for the guys who are playing,” he said.
Hyman added that he tried to channel his frustration into leadership off the ice. “So when I wasn’t around them, I was a stress case, and when I was, I just tried to be an emotional support system, an anchor for those guys,” he explained.
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What comes next for Hyman and the Oilers?
Though his right wrist remains braced, Hyman has resumed skating. Whether he’ll be ready for opening night of the 2025-26 season remains uncertain. For the Oilers, his recovery is critical. With two straight Finals losses behind them, Edmonton knows that having a healthy, impactful Hyman could be the difference in finally breaking through.