OilersNation has reported:

Zach Hyman returned to practice with the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, but is expected to miss Saturday afternoon’s game against the San Jose Sharks. The winger has been out since suffering an upper-body injury after playing in Edmonton’s season opener, and the team is 3-0-1 through its first four games without him and other key contributors.

Hyman was hurt in the Oilers’ final pre-season game against the Calgary Flames on Sept. 26. He played in Edmonton’s season opener three days later, then missed the team’s next four games. His return to the ice with the group suggests he is getting closer to playing again.

Hyman wore a white practice jersey and skated on the second line, rotating with Kasperi Kapanen. Jason Dickinson centred the line, while Filip Hallander, the newest member of the Oilers, played on the left wing. Dickinson had returned from injury days earlier.

Head coach Mike Babcock said Hyman’s practice gear indicated he would not play the next day. “He wasn’t in a regular sweater today, so I assume he’s not playing tomorrow.” Hyman described the session as his first with the group in some time: “First skate with the group in a little bit, so definitely getting there and always good to skate with the guys.”

Trent Frederic moved from the second line, where he had played with Dickinson and Kapanen in Wednesday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks, to the fourth line. He rotated with Max Jones alongside Josh Samanski and Isaac Howard. The first line of Vasily Podkolzin, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl stayed together, as did the third line of Alex Formenton, Owen Michaels and Mathieu Joseph.

After Saturday’s game, Edmonton has two days off before continuing its three-game Southern California road trip with a visit to the Los Angeles Kings. Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Matt Savoie have each missed all four games this season.

Babcock said the Oilers need to improve their forechecking, which he linked to opponents’ ability to leave their zone easily. “We don’t forecheck good enough, and we make little mistakes that lets them have easy exits,” he said. “Forechecking in heavy O-zone plays like body punches in a heavyweight championship.”

“If you can get those going, the rest of the stuff will look after itself and we haven’t been able to quite establish that on a regular basis yet. We’re going to try to do that,” Babcock said.