In an Edmonton Oilers news and rumors update, Zach Hyman returns for the Edmonton Oilers, while Viktor Arvidsson remains out. Meanwhile, the 4 Nations teams were announced and while a few names made it, several Oilers didn’t make the final cut. Who did make the team? And, for those who didn’t, will it light a fire under them to start upping their production and contributing more to prove a point they were overlooked?
Hyman Returns vs. Blue Jackets on Thursday
Zach Hyman is confirmed to return to the Edmonton Oilers lineup after missing five games due to injury. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug posted on Thursday morning, “Hyman back and on top line with 97 and 93.” Hyman said he was excited to get back into the lineup and is confident in his ability to start putting goals on the board, which is something the Oilers desperately need.
Hyman was asked if he’s hoping to still make Team Canada if there’s an injury. He responded that he hopes everyone stays healthy and that Canada does great. He doesn’t want to get on the team that way.
Rishaug observed notable line combinations at practice, with Leon Draisaitl skating alongside Vasily Podkolzin and Kasperi Kapanen, while Jeff Skinner was paired with Mattias Janmark and Adam Henrique. Derek Ryan joined Corey Perry and Connor Brown. Each line features a mix of speed and skill, but the standout takeaway is players are positioned in roles that better align with their strengths and expected contributions. Calvin Pickard gets the start for the Oilers in goal.
Question Marks Surrounding Viktor Arvidsson’s Injury
The Daily Hive asked head coach Kris Knoblauch for a status update and the bench boss didn’t have one. “It’s obviously gone on longer than we anticipated,” Knoblauch said. “We thought it would be just a couple of days off, but it hasn’t healed as expected.”
As of now, there is no timeline for his return.
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This is clearly not a good thing for the Oilers, who were expecting that Arvidsson might not miss any games at all. That he’s now missed several games, isn’t skating, and there is no indication about when he might return, there has to be growing concern that the Oilers signed a player who isn’t going to be nearly as productive as they might have hoped.
Interestingly, Arvidsson was still selected for his 4 Nations team.
McDavid Excited About the 4 Nations Tournament
“Nowhere else I’d rather be than in Montreal and Boston on those two weeks,” said Connor McDavid when asked about his being named to Team Canada. His selection was not a surprise, but the fact that no other Oilers were picked to be on the team might have come as a bit of a shock.
Evan Bouchard, Hyman, and Stuart Skinner were also believed to have a good shot of making the team before the season started. None of them were selected, and likely because they have all struggled to start the 2024-25 campaign.
Skinner might have been among the more interesting omissions, if only because he wasn’t even listed on insider’s alternates team. Canada’s goaltending isn’t exactly elite, and the fact Skinner took the Oiler to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final and has been one of the better Canadian netminders over the past couple of seasons, he still didn’t get much consideration among analysts.
The hope for Oilers fans is that being snubbed will light a fire under all three players.
Mattias Ekholm was selected for Team Sweden.