Zach Hyman, who had surgery on Wednesday to repair an upper-body injury, likely is out for the rest of the playoffs. But defenseman Mattias Ekholm (lower-body injury) is set to make his 2025 postseason debut on Thursday night as the Oilers attempt to close out the Dallas Stars and advance to their second straight Stanley Cup Final.

Stars' Thomas Harley did not hold back his feelings of joy, as he shockingly said the Oilers are worse now that Zach Hyman is sidelined with an injury.

Suddenly, the Edmonton Oilers lineup is undergoing significant change. But even after long layoffs, veterans Mattias Ekholm and Jeff Skinner are ready to go for Game 5 against the Stars.

The Edmonton Oilers pulled ahead in the Western Conference Final with a 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, but forward Zach Hyman’s early exit raised immediate concern.The team’s leading goal scorer this postseason was ruled out for the remainder of Game 4 after an awkward collision just minutes in.

This year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs have provided fans with some of the most exciting playoff hockey in recent history. Although it may seem like a biased opinion, I will go on and say that the Edmonton Oilers are single-handedly responsible for a large portion of those memorable moments.