PREVIEW: Oilers at Hurricanes

Zach Hyman is expected to make his season debut when the Edmonton Oilers continue their seven-game road trip against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night at Lenovo Center.

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PREVIEW: Oilers at Hurricanes

RALEIGH, NC – On high alert for Zach Hyman's arrival.

All signs are pointing to forward Zach Hyman making his long-awaited season debut on Saturday night for the Edmonton Oilers in a tough test against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center, providing them a major boost to their lineup with the return of one of their offensive and veteran leaders.

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said before Thursday's defeat in Columbus that Hyman is anticipated to play on Saturday in his first game since suffering a fractured wrist on a hit delivered by Mason Marchment during the first period of Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars on May 27.

The 33-year-old underwent surgery almost immediately, resulting in the premature end to his postseason with 11 points (five goals) and 111 hits in 16 playoff games before spending the next five and a half months recovering and rehabbing for his expected return on Saturday after missing the first 19 games.

Hyman will be a huge addition with 258 points (144 goals) in 308 career games as an Oiler, along with 60 points (35 goals) in 68 playoff contests across two straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final. In each of his four seasons with Edmonton, the winger has scored at least 25 goals and 40 points, setting new career highs in 2023-24 when he notched his first 50-goal season (54) and finished with 77 points before adding 16 goals and six assists in 25 playoff games.

Beyond his valuable role as a top-six power forward, Hyman is an integral leader in the locker room and will provide the Oilers with a spark upon his return, as they've been missing his services this season during an inconsistent 8-7-4 start that has them sitting fourth in the Pacific Division.

He's expected to re-assume his place on the top line next to Connor McDavid – potentially with Matt Savoie as the other winger – along with the net-front role on the top power-play unit, which Jack Roslovic has done a terrific job filling during his absence with three power-play assists this season.

Both Savoie and Roslovic were two of Edmonton's best players in their back-to-back earlier this week, combining on the overtime winner in Wednesday's 2-1 victory over Philadelphia and extending their point streaks in a 5-4 loss in Columbus on Thursday.

Savoie's two-game point streak (1G, 2A) is the first of his young career, while Roslovic has been an impactful addition for the Oilers with 11 points (5G, 6A) in his last 10 games, including a three-game point streak with two overtime winners against Columbus (Monday) and Philadelphia (Wednesday).

The Oilers announced a pair of roster moves on Friday to potentially pave the way for Hyman's return on Saturday to face the Hurricanes, placing defenceman Troy Stecher on waivers and loaning forward Isaac Howard to the AHL's Bakersfield Condors.

The Oilers and Hurricanes meet for the first time this season after splitting the series in 2024-25.

The Oilers earned their first win in Raleigh since Feb. 2016 back in their last meeting on Mar. 1, picking up a 3-1 victory behind Calvin Pickard's 35-save performance. Earlier in the year, Stuart Skinner turned aside 30 of 33 shots and McDavid recorded a pair of goals, but the Hurricanes fought back from a two-goal deficit in the third period to win 3-2 in overtime at Rogers Place.

McDavid has recorded at least a point in six straight games against the Hurricanes (4G, 9A), including four multi-point efforts, and Draisaitl has 19 points (6G, 13A) over their last 13 meetings. Hyman could be picking the right fixture to return for, as he's enjoyed plenty of success in recent games against Carolina with eight points (7G. 1A) over their last six games, including one of his five career hat-tricks on Dec. 6, 2023 in Edmonton.

The Hurricanes will play the second of a back-to-back after hosting the Vancouver Canucks on Friday.