The Edmonton Oilers will be without top-line winger Zach Hyman and second-line centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins when they visit the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night, and the injury list grew again on the eve of the rematch.
Hyman is out day to day with an upper-body injury, NHL.com reported Thursday. The 34-year-old played 20:33 in Tuesday’s 6-5 overtime loss to Vancouver at Rogers Place without registering a point, and NHL.com said the injury traces back to Saturday’s preseason finale against the Calgary Flames. Head coach Mike Babcock suggested the absence could last longer than the label implies. “I told you I think that (day to day) means two weeks, right?” Babcock said, according to NHL.com.
The Oilers placed Nugent-Hopkins on injured reserve Wednesday. The veteran centre hurt his lower body late in Monday’s practice and missed the opener, as we reported Tuesday. Pro Hockey Rumors, citing Babcock, said he is expected to miss four or five more games, while OilersNation put the timeline at about two weeks.
Edmonton also placed forward Matt Savoie and defenceman Alec Regula on long-term injured reserve. Babcock said Savoie was “eight weeks away,” according to OilersNation, which reported Regula is still recovering from off-season surgery. Savoie, 22, scored 18 goals and 37 points in 82 games as a rookie last season, per Pro Hockey Rumors.
To fill the gap, the Oilers recalled forward Josh Samanski from the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors under emergency conditions. Samanski was the club’s final cut from training camp, sent down Monday, and had two goals and four points in 24 regular-season games last season, according to OilersNation. NHL.com said Thursday’s game will be his season debut. OilersNation also listed forward Jason Dickinson as day to day and Atro Leppänen as out after blocking a shot in the preseason.
Daily Hive’s projected lineup has Vasily Podkolzin, who tied Tuesday’s game with 42.5 seconds left in regulation, skating with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on a stacked top line, Samanski centring the fourth line and Devon Levi starting in goal. Daily Hive also listed goaltender Frederik Andersen among the injured; the Oilers had not confirmed lines or a starter as of Thursday afternoon.
Babcock struck a measured tone after the opening loss. “A little adversity at the start of the year never hurt anybody. Let’s dig in,” he said, according to NHL.com.
Puck drop at Rogers Arena, the Canucks’ home opener, is 7 p.m. PT (8 p.m. MT) on Sportsnet One and Sportsnet Pacific. Edmonton is 0-1-0.
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Sources: via NHL.com, Pro Hockey Rumors, OilersNation, Daily Hive. Photo: Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at Washington, Feb. 2, 2022 (file photo, not from this season), by Brian Murphy/All-Pro Reels via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
