Zach Hyman returns to Edmonton Oilers practice Friday, and the timing couldn't be much better for a team already rolling.
He isn't cleared for game action yet. But he's expected to be available soon, and that matters for a forward group already missing Colton Dach, who sits on injured reserve.
Hyman has dressed only once this season, going plus-1 without hitting the scoresheet. The original projection had him out until at least October 17.
Edmonton hasn't exactly suffered without him. The Oilers sit 3-0-1 and head out on a road trip riding a three-game winning streak.
The offense is running hot. Edmonton is scoring 5.5 goals per game, and Connor McDavid has already piled up 12 points.
Then there's Evan Bouchard, who has six goals from the blue line. Six goals. From a defenseman. In four games.
So why does a 34-year-old winger matter on a team scoring at will? Think of a snowplow in January: nobody notices it until the morning it doesn't show up.
The bigger problem for Mike Babcock sits in the crease
Hyman's return won't touch the real issue. Edmonton has already given up 16 goals, and that number should keep Mike Babcock up at night.
Devon Levi owns all three wins, yet his save percentage sits at .863.
Tristan Jarry has been worse. Through three appearances, he's at .739, and he's still looking for his first victory.
Getting a healthy winger back is nice. But if Stan Bowman isn't working the phones for help in goal, he's watching the wrong end of the ice.
There's a lineup squeeze coming too. Once the veteran is activated, his $5,500,000 cap hit isn't sitting in the press box, and somebody in the bottom six loses a seat.
Max Jones is the name to watch. He hasn't recorded a point yet and sits at minus-4.
Up front, Vasily Podkolzin has already scored twice on the power play. Top-six minutes won't be handed back automatically just because a familiar face is healthy again.
Edmonton visits San Jose on Saturday, then Los Angeles on October 13. The question is whether Hyman gets back before a hot offense runs out of goals to cover for its goaltending.
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Should Stan Bowman chase a goalie before Zach Hyman even plays again?
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