$74,000,000 Oilers D-man makes feelings known about big void left owing to Zach Hyman's season-ending injury

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse is confident even without teammate Zach Hyman in the lineup. Last Week, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said that Hyman will miss the Stanley Cup finals against the Florida Panthers.

Speaking to NHL columnist Jamie Umbach, Nurse, who is signed on an 8-year, $74,000,000 contract, said the Oilers know what Hyman brings and are ready to step up.

"Obviously, Zach brings so much to our lineup, whether it's the physicality, the offensive production or what he brings to our room," Nurse said, via NHL.com. "So we're going to have to pick that up by committee. With that said, we're very confident in the group that we have and the players are available.

"There have been guys that have stepped up in huge moments so far throughout the playoffs," Nurse added. "And I'm sure over the course of the series we'll need more of that."

The Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final by beating Dallas in five games. Forward Connor Brown, out with injury since Game 3 of the Western Conference Final, is likely to return to the lineup. Brown is now back skating and ready for Game 1.

Defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who missed most of the playoffs with an injury, will also be in the lineup. Ekholm returned in Game 5 against Dallas and impressed right away. Coach Kris Knoblauch said Ekholm looked solid and played nearly 16 minutes.

"His first game, he exceeded expectations," Knoblauch said, via NHL.com. "... he looked very comfortable and made a lot of nice plays."

The Oilers are preparing to face the Florida Panthers in a rematch of last year’s Final. Edmonton forced Game 7 after being down 3-0 in the series but lost 2-1 in the final game.

With Zach Hyman out, the Oilers will rely on their depth, experience, and teamwork to push for the Stanley Cup.

Oilers lose forward Zach Hyman ahead of Stanley Cup final

Zach Hyman suffered an upper-body injury following a hit from Dallas’ Mason Marchment in Game 4. After undergoing surgery, he has been ruled out for the rest of the playoffs.

Before the injury, Hyman was leading all players in hits and recorded five goals and six assists over 15 games.

Evander Kane spoke about Zach Hyman’s value, calling him a player who delivers in big moments and brings physical play.

“He's a player that’s leading the league in hits in the postseason,” Kane said. “He's physical. He can score. And not only does he score, he scores big goals, you know, he scores at clutch times, which obviously is a great asset to any team."

Kane also pointed to the team’s depth, saying others like Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson have filled in well.