NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Dallas Stars at Edmonton Oilers - Source: Imagn — Oilers struggle with slow starts and lineup changes after Zach Hyman's injury (Source: Imagn)

Marty Biron opines $38.5M Oilers forward's absence due to injury has led to lineup consistency & chemistry troubles

Modified Jun 16, 2025 05:39 GMT

The Edmonton Oilers lost 5-2 to the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday. Brad Marchand scored two goals and helped the Panthers move to within one win of the Stanley Cup.

Marchand now has six goals in the series, the most in a Cup Final since 1988. Florida has controlled the first period in almost every game. The Oilers again had a slow start and only managed three shots in the first period.

On Sunday, TSN Hockey analyst Martin Biron talked about the Oilers’ problem with slow starts. Biron said the injury to Zach Hyman has made a big difference.

Hyman, who is signed to a seven-year, $38.5 million contract, was injured after a collision with Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final. He suffered an upper-body injury and later had surgery in May, which ruled him out for the rest of the playoffs.

"I’d go back to the loss of Zac," Biron said. "And what happened is now that the lineup is never set. There’s no consistency in the lineup.... I think there’s no chemistry. And when you don’t have chemistry, it takes you a while to get going.

"So the fact that there’s been so many changes to the lineup — so many changes to the lines — I think it makes it that the Oilers have been slow to start games. It’s just the fact that you don’t have Zach Hyman," Biron said.

Hyman, who finished with 27 goals and 44 points during the regular season, had scored five goals with six assists in the postseason prior to his injury. His absence has left a big gap in the Oilers' forward group.

Edmonton Oilers weigh goalie options ahead of crucial Game 6

Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch has not picked a starting goalie for their must-win Game 6 in the Stanley Cup Final. Knoblauch said the decision will include input from the assistants, goalie coach, and general manager.

"That’s a conversation with the staff, our goaltending coach Dustin Schwartz, ...assistants, and general manager to ... (weigh) what’s best moving forward... not an easy decision,” Knoblauch said after Game 5 loss to media, via NHL.com.

Calvin Pickard started Game 5 but gave up four goals on 18 shots. Earlier, Stuart Skinner was pulled in his last two starts. Now, the Oilers are focused on staying alive in the series against the Panthers.

About the author

Abhilasha is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda. Holding a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, her interest in writing hockey was piqued after watching an NHL skills video on YouTube. The 2023 Stanley Cup Finale series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers was among the most iconic games she has seen and it left an impact on her.

Her reporting strengths include covering news stories and following stars like McDavid, Matthews and Alex Ovechkin, among others.

Abhilasha is a huge fan of the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche because of their skilled forwards, while her favorite players include Wayne Gretzky, Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Connor Bedard. For her, John Tortorella is the greatest coach ever.

Abhilasha has over 3 years of experience writing content for different products and websites, along with handling social media content for various brands. She values using credible sources when writing and likes to identify fake and false narratives.

Abhilasha’s hobbies include spiritual reading, staying updated on the latest makeup trends, fitness and exploring new destinations through travel.

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