Oilers' Evander Kane makes his thoughts clear on missing Zach Hyman to injury ahead of Stanley Cup final rematch against Panthers

Oilers' Zach Hyman will miss the Stanley Cup Final due to an upper-body injury. He got hurt in Game 4 against the Dallas Stars after a collision with Mason Marchment. He had surgery and will not return for the rest of the playoffs. Hyman was leading the postseason in hits and had five goals and six assists in 15 games. His absence is a big loss for the Oilers.

Evander Kane spoke about Hyman’s injury before the Final against the Florida Panthers. He said Hyman is a huge part of the team.

“He's a player that’s leading the league in hits in the postseason,” Kane said. “He's physical. He can score.”

Kane added that Hyman scores big goals at key moments, which helps the team a lot:

"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."

Even though Hyman is out, Evander Kane said the Oilers handled things well in Game 5 against Dallas:

“Guys like Jeff Skinner came in the lineup. Ari’s been really good.”

Kane believes this year’s team has more depth:

“We have a lot more depth throughout the entirety of our lineup.”

Kane explained that the Oilers can adjust their strategy depending on what the game requires:

“If we need scoring, we have scoring. If we need to be more physical, we can be more physical."

He knows losing Hyman is tough, but is confident in the team.

“Unfortunately, we're going to have to use that depth,” Kane said. “We're going to have to get the job done without him.”

Oilers ready for Stanley Cup final rematch against Panthers

The Stanley Cup Final will again be between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers. Last year, Florida won in seven games.

Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers’ alternate captain, has watched how the Panthers play. He said they are an aggressive team that pressures opponents. Edmonton knows its style and feels ready.

"Yeah, I like watching hockey at home," Draisaitl said, "so obviously I've been been paying attention to their series, and you know, the way they play, it's not like anything new to us."

"You know, we know what they're about. They know what we're about. And try to find little tweaks throughout a series. I mean, every team has their own identity in a way. Obviously, they're an aggressive team," Draisaitl added.

The Florida Panthers aim to win the Stanley Cup for a second time. Edmonton hopes to claim its first title since 1990. The two teams will meet in the Stanley Cup Final, with Game 1 scheduled for Wednesday in Edmonton.