Zach Hyman suffers frightening head impact as Oilers face another injury setback
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Zach Hyman left the Oilers' 4-3 shootout loss to the Red Wings on Monday after his head hit the glass, and he's in concussion protocol.
Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman needed help getting off the ice Monday night after a hit along the boards from Detroit defenseman Andreas Englund. Hl
He did not return, and the Oilers dropped a 4-3 shootout decision to the Red Wings.
It happened at the 7:36 mark of the second period.
At first glance it looked like ordinary board work, and Englund was just finishing his check.
The scary part came a split second later, when the back of Hyman's head struck the glass.
He looked dazed and made his way off with help from the training staff.
He logged 8:25 of ice time.
Reports described the hit as clean, which only makes it more frustrating for Edmonton.
Hyman is 34 and had just returned from a preseason injury, and he had one goal in five games before Monday.
Another hole in the Oilers lineup
The timing could not be worse.
Forwards Matt Savoie, Jason Dickinson and Mattias Janmark are already out, along with defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Alec Regula and goaltender Frederik Andersen.
Dickinson is expected back Wednesday, which helps a little, but losing Hyman cuts into the forward depth right away.
What comes next for Hyman
The Oilers have not shared a timeline or an official diagnosis.
Hyman entered concussion protocol, and Oilers analyst Jason Gregor expects him to be out at least a week based on how it looked.
Head coach Mike Babcock admitted afterward that watching another player go down was the last thing the team wanted, and he stressed how much Hyman matters to the group.
Until the Oilers share an update, the focus stays on his recovery and on how Edmonton fills the gap.
The team has already lost a lot of bodies, and this is not the kind of absence it can shrug off.
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