PROJECTED LINEUP: Hyman, Dach & Walman all set to return for Mammoth rematch

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Reinforcements are arriving.

The Oilers will have forwards Zach Hyman & Colton Dach, along with defenceman Jake Walman, back in their lineup for the second half of their home-and-away series against the Utah Mammoth on Saturday night at Delta Center.

Head Coach Mike Babcock confirmed that all three skaters will return from their respective injuries tonight as the Oilers look to avenge their 4-2 loss on home ice in the first half of their back-to-back set with the Central Division side back on Thursday.

As per the line rushes at this morning's fully attended pre-game skate, Colton Dach is poised to centre the second line alongside Zach Hyman and Kasperi Kapanen, while Jake Walman joined Ty Emberson on the third defensive pairing.

Shakir Mukhamadullin was the seventh defenceman, and Josh Samanski and Max Jones were the extra forwards. Goalie Tristan Jarry will start his third game of the season.

Babcock said following Thursday's defeat that he'd hoped they bought the Oilers some extra time to get healthy after running up the ice time of the team's top weapons like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Vasily Podkolzin, Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm in recent games, but that the minutes of their returnees are going to need to be managed as they get back up to speed after their early-season absences.

"Well, I'm just gonna watch it," Babcock said. "If they're good, they're going to play, and if they're not, they're gonna play less. It's just so simple that it's not even funny.  I just stand there, and they decide who plays, so we need more guys playing more. I'm gonna watch and see what happens."

The bench boss is hoping to get more from the rest of the lineup as well, with the aforementioned five-some being a combined +62 this season, while the rest of the lineup has a combined -8 plus/minus.

Babcock wants to empower the rest of his players from the beginning by playing them regularly and getting them into the flow of the game, which can hopefully continue for a full 60 minutes to reduce the burden on the top lines.

"I just start the game, and I want to play everybody," he said. "We've got to have guys that earn their way to doing it, and we're gonna have that."

View the Oilers Projected Lineup vs. the Mammoth below:

Podkolzin - McDavid - Draisaitl
Kapanen - Dach - Hyman
Formenton - Michaels - Joseph
Hallander - Frederic - Howard 

Ekholm - Bouchard
Shea - Murphy
Walman - Emberson

Jarry
Levi