The Edmonton Oilers are finally getting a little help back at the right time.
After a rough start to the 2026-27 season marked by injuries, the Oilers are set to welcome back three regulars when they face the Utah Mammoth on Saturday night. Edmonton lost 4-2 to Utah on Thursday, snapping its winning streak, but the rematch now comes with reinforcements on the way.
Bob Stauffer’s morning skate lineup suggested the return of Zach Hyman, Colton Dach and Jake Walman. Hyman has missed the past six games, while Dach and Walman have been out for the past four and three games, respectively.
The @EdmontonOilers morning skate:
Podkolzin-McDavid-Draisaitl
Kapanen-Dach-Hyman
Formenton-Michaels-Joseph
Hallander-Frederic-Howard
Jones-Samanski
Ekholm-Bouchard
Shea-Murphy
Walman-Emberson
Mukhamadullin
Jarry
Levi
- Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) October 17, 2026
That’s a meaningful lift for an Oilers team trying to get its lineup back together, especially with Hyman re-entering the top six. But Saturday may only be the first step in a bigger injury shuffle.
Jason Gregor reported on Friday on X that Edmonton expects five players to return over the next week or two. Along with Hyman, Dach and Walman, the club is also looking for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jason Dickinson to come back soon.
Nugent-Hopkins would be making his season debut when he returns. Dickinson has appeared in only three games this season. Both would give Edmonton a needed boost down the middle, where the injury damage has hit hardest.
The Oilers have been dealing with this for a while. Before the season even began, the team announced that several players would miss training camp because of lingering injuries.
That group included Mattias Janmark, whose 2025-26 season ended early, along with depth defenseman Alec Regula and forward Matt Savoie, who appeared ready for a breakout. Newly signed veteran goaltender Frederik Andersen was also ruled out at that point.
The list only grew through camp and the 2026 preseason. If Hyman, Dach and Walman are officially back, the situation is at least starting to turn in the right direction.
Right now, the Oilers’ injury list still includes Nugent-Hopkins, Dickinson, Andersen, Savoie, Janmark, Regula, Atro Leppanen and James Stefan. Leppanen and Stefan are expected back soon, while the rest remain to be determined.
With three players coming in, three also have to come out. The expected scratches appear to be Max Jones, Josh Samanski and Shakir Mukhamadullin.
In Other News...
Oilers Roster Shuffle Leaves One Big Lineup Question Unanswered
The Oilers kept their roster moving ahead of the game against the Utah Mammoth, activating Colton Dach off injured reserve and welcoming Jake Walman back into the lineup. Josh Samanskis brief emergency recall added another layer to the shuffle, giving Edmonton some extra depth for the night before he was sent back to Bakersfield, a reminder of how quickly the team is piecing together its forward group as injuries and absences continue to shape the roster.
Even with those moves, one of the bigger lineup questions still hangs over the group. Jason Dickinsons status remains unclear, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is still being tracked for a season debut late next week, leaving the Oilers with more uncertainty than they would like as they try to settle things down after another round of personnel changes. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Linked To A Top-Six Target They May Struggle To Land
A top-six forward is once again part of the conversation around Edmonton, with Travis Konecny surfacing as a speculative fit if Philadelphia decides to shake up its roster. For the Oilers, the attraction is obvious: a player with enough speed and finish to slot into the kind of role this team has been searching to stabilize.
The obstacle is just as obvious. Edmonton is tight against the cap and does not have much in the way of prospect capital to lean on, which makes any meaningful addition harder to pull off than it looks on paper. If the Flyers do explore changes, the Oilers would likely need to get creative to make the money work and still have enough left to satisfy Philadelphias asking price. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Getting Healthier Again As Another Return Comes Into Focus
The Oilers are starting to get their bench depth back in order, with Colton Dach activated from injured reserve and Josh Samanski sent back to Bakersfield. Edmonton is also set to have Jake Walman and Zach Hyman in the lineup tonight, another sign that the club is moving through this stretch with more of its regular pieces available after a brief spell of shuffling around the roster.
There is still more help on the way, too, as the teams forward group could get even fuller during next weeks homestand. For a club trying to keep its lines stable and its blue line intact, those coming returns matter almost as much as the ones already announced, especially with Samanski back in the AHL after six games and the Oilers lining up another round of decisions on the forward side. [Read more 🡒]