Zach Hyman sets new career-best in his 2025-26 season debut

In fact, it was his first time on the ice officially since Game 4 of last season's Western Conference Final versus the Dallas Stars, playing with his usual intensity and impacting the game like only he can.

To show how eager he was to be a contributor on the ice, Hyman dished-out a career-high 11 hits against the Canes, while adding an assist to help secure a 4-3 OT win for the Oilers.

The 11 hits places Zach 4th all-time, behind only Adam Larsson's 13 in 2017, Darnell Nurse's 12 in 2020, and also 12 from Jujhar Khaira in 2021.

But it's not the most hits he's recorded in a game. Against the Golden Knights in the post-season, Hyman posted 13 bad boys.

You can't say enough about Zach's importance to the Oilers since arriving from Toronto in 2021-22, epitomizing everything Edmonton stands for: Work ethic, tenacity, leadership and heart.

Granted, it's only one game back, but already you can see how his presence uplifts the lineup and makes it deeper, allowing Kris Knoblauch to build the kind of line combinations he'd envisioned for this team.

In his first game back, Hyman played 23:10 of ice time and posted a 60.45 xGF%, like he'd never been away. His presence alo comes at a time when the Oilers seem to have turned the season around, having won 2 of 3 of a 7-game road trip.

The last win was against an excellent and deep Hurricanes club. It took another OT to get the job done, but they did finish victorious. With Hyman back, you can see how McDavid will continue to dominate in the points category, as he has done of late.