Oilers: Injured Hyman still our 'emotional leader'

EDMONTON, Alberta -- When the Edmonton Oilers won the Western Conference title successful Dallas, prima halfway Leon Draisaitl took retired his telephone to FaceTime a friend: teammate Zach Hyman, who had suffered a season-ending wrist wounded earlier successful the series.

"It caught maine disconnected guard. I was crying. It was truly emotional. It meant the satellite to me," Hyman said Wednesday, hours earlier the Oilers were scheduled to unfastened their Stanley Cup Final rematch against the Florida Panthers.

Hyman said he'll question with the Oilers passim the series, offering immoderate proposal and encouragement helium tin portion being incapable to play.

"He's a precise beardown affectional person to our team. He holds things together," Oilers manager Kris Knoblauch said. "So yeah, to accidental that we're going to miss him is an understatement."

Hyman was injured successful Game 4 against Dallas aft an awkward collision with Stars guardant Mason Marchment. The 32-year-old winger was diagnosed with a dislocated wrist and had surgery. He said helium anticipates that he'll beryllium acceptable for the commencement of the 2025-26 season.

"I knew it wasn't bully erstwhile I got hit. Right distant I felt my wrist spell connected me," Hyman said. "When you're a player, you deliberation there's a accidental you tin play done it. Not to spell into the details, but I rapidly realized that this was thing that needed surgery, that I couldn't combat through."

Hyman said it was hard emotionally aft realizing his play was over. Oilers skipper Connor McDavid was the archetypal subordinate to spot him aft his injury.

"He called maine implicit and gave maine a hug. That's erstwhile I broke down," Hyman said.

From a tactical standpoint, the Oilers volition miss Hyman against the Panthers. He had 5 goals and six assists successful 15 games playing connected Edmonton's apical enactment with McDavid. He's a disturbing beingness successful beforehand of an opponent's nett and a carnal 1 each implicit the ice, starring the playoffs with 111 hits. That would person been cardinal against the bruising Panthers.

The Oilers person utilized seasoned winger Corey Perry connected the apical enactment with McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Knoblauch said the squad could besides crook to options similar Connor Brown and Viktor Arvidsson.

"We've got a batch of guys," Knoblauch said. "Those guys collectively are going to effort and erase our memories of Zach Hyman."

Off the ice, Hyman was an inspiring presence. After the Oilers mislaid successful Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Panthers past season, Hyman declared successful the depressed dressing country that "I cognize we're going to beryllium back." That became a rallying outcry for his teammates, who yet made his words prophetic.

"I genuinely felt similar arsenic a group, having gone done what we went done past year, I knew we had a hunger and a occurrence to get backmost to this point. Not conscionable get backmost here, but to win," helium said.

Now, the Oilers are besides trying to triumph for Hyman.

"A large crushed for america to triumph is for him. He's surely a feline we'll beryllium warring for connected the ice," halfway Adam Henrique said.