Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman may not have cracked the initial Team Canada roster for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, but there is a chance he could still wind up playing on the team.
Canada’s roster was revealed earlier this month, with Connor McDavid being the lone Oilers player to make the cut. Yet, a new report from Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli on Friday has Hyman as being a prime candidate to be an injury replacement if the need arises.
“Hyman, of course, had a big first game back… almost on hat trick watch,” Seravalli said. “Huge response from him from being cut from the 4 Nations Face-Off team.
“If he continues at a clip like this, he’s certainly going to be at the very top of the list.”
Hyman has looked like the 50-goal scorer of last season since returning from injury.
He’s got three goals in the two games he’s played and is having a lot more success going to the net.
Perhaps the Team Canada dream lives on if the team needs an injury replacement. #Oilers
— Preston Hodgkinson (@NHLHodgkinson) December 8, 2024
The former 50-goal scorer was seen as a near-lock to make Canada’s squad at the beginning of the season, but a slow start cratered his chances as he had just three goals through the first 20 games of the season. He was then sidelined for five games with an injury while Canada announced their roster.
It’s a snub that Hyman appears to have taken personally as he has been fantastic in the two games since returning from injury. He has scored three goals since getting healthy to double his goal total up to six on the season. Hyman will still be in tough to match the 54 goals he scored last season, but he has looked a lot like his old self recently.
If he keeps up this pace, Seravalli made it sound like Hyman could be the first person that Canada GM Don Sweeney calls if one of Canada’s existing wingers goes down with an injury between now and February.
He would certainly have more experience playing with McDavid than any other player at the tournament.
It may not be the type of Team Canada appointment that Hyman or Oilers fans imagined, but nobody would be complaining if #18 pulled on the red maple leaf sweater.