'I think everybody’s finding a role, which is really good'

With the Edmonton Oilers the only NHL team that hasn’t lost a game in regulation, it’s been the sum of all the available parts, but one of those missing pieces and a large one, Zach Hyman, may play in Los Angeles Tuesday.

That’s if the assistant captain gets the expected green light from the medical staff.

“Imagine he’ll meet with our people (doctors, athletic therapist) once again. I don’t make those decisions,” said coach Mike Babcock, who doesn’t have an M.D. shingle hanging over his dressing room office.

Hyman, hurt in the last exhibition game against Calgary (upper-body), did play 20 minutes in the season-opener at home against the Canucks, but he’s sat out the last four. He will likely be somewhere in top six for the Oilers sixth game, and back on the first PP unit as the net-front presence.

But, clearly, they’ve survived and thrived without Hyman. All enviable signs of a team listening to what new coach Mike Babcock has been selling from wherever Hyman’s been watching the Oiler games from.

“I think everybody’s finding a role, which is really good,” said Hyman, on the Oiler website. “We’ve had guys out of the line-up obviously (Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Matt Savoie as top 9 forwards), with a lot of new guys coming in and stepping up (Owen Michaels, Alex Formenton, Mathieu Joseph, Ryan Shea, Devon Levi).”

“And the big guys? They’re carrying a lot and playing up to their standards which are pretty high,” said Hyman, seeing defenceman Evan Bouchard on the ice for 14 goals and one against with his 12 points, Connor McDavid with 13, Leon Draisaitl with nine and Vasily Podkolzin scoring five times.

There’s new defensive systems in place as well as a new coaching staff. Some early pain, like scoring 14 times and giving up 13 goals in the first two games against the Vancouver Canucks but only having four goals surrendered the last three matches.

“The first couple of games were an anomaly with how we played in pre-season, and how we’ve gotten back to that the last few,” said Hyman.

“The coaching staff (associate coach D.J. Smith, looking after the defence and returnee Paul McFarland (looking after the forwards) has done a really good job instilling how they want us to play.

“It takes time for things to be perfected. It’s still very on with the coaching staff, the new systems but as a whole, guys are buying in and we’re seeing the results,” said Hyman, who gets a second on that emotion from Bouchard.

“If we open things up it can get a little bit dicey (read the Canucks the first two games) but we’re playing detailed hockey right now and when we do that, we’re a hard team to beat,” said Bouchard.

May be a touch of hyperbole but the rookie Oiler Michaels looks a bit like a young Craig MacTavish in the face-off circle, the way he gets low and sweeps pucks back. As we all know, the ex-Oiler captain and Cup winner McTavish was also out there to win the crucial draw with 1.6 seconds left in Game 7 in 1994 to give the Rangers their first dance with the Cup in 54 years.

As MacTavish jokingly told former National Post scribe Michael Traikos “you can wrap up 30 years of hockey in three events for me: being the last player not to wear a helmet, taking that face-off, and pulling the tongue out of Harvey the Hound in Calgary.”

Michaels, who is 60 percent on his 65 overall draws through five games, has taken more face-offs in the D zone and also shorthanded than any other Oiler pivot. He’s taken 13 face-offs SH, winning nine. In the defensive zone he’s taken 31, 12 more than his next closest, Connor McDavid. He’s won 20 of them, including all three against Macklin Celebrini last Saturday in San Jose.

“He’s been in a situation where he’s playing against really good players every single night and still seems to be competitive,” said Babcock, talking to the media in Los Angeles Monday. “They (linemates Formenton and Joseph) give up no chances and get chances. They’ve got a good situation going.”

Babcock leaned mostly on veterans on big draws in his other NHL days. “Pav (Pavel Datsyuk) obviously in Detroit, Ruch (Steve Rucchin) in Anaheim. Also (Jason) Krog, the assistant coach in Vancouver, won tons of draws as a right-hand guy in Anaheim and (Luke) Glendening (Detroit) did, too,” said Babcock.

“Hundred percent it’s usually an experienced guy but this guy (Michaels) has done a good job so far. He’s a work in progress but we feel lucky with our situation (injuries), that his play has allowed us to move ahead,” said Babcock.

Yes, a small early-season snapshot but at worst he’ll be the 4C with Nugent-Hopkins, when he returns, in the two-hole and Jason Dickinson as 3C but that’s fine for an NHL rookie.

McDavid will be playing his 800th game Tuesday, joining five others — Kevin Lowe (1,037), Nugent-Hopkins (1,031), Ryan Smyth (858), Mark Messier (851), Draisaitl (860), and Glenn Anderson (845) reaching at least 800 in an Oiler jersey. McDavid has 1,233 points, six behind Peter Stastney on the all-time list. McDavid is 45thin career points and still only 29. “Like a lot of superstars, they’ve got a drive train second to none,” said Babcock.

Oiler defenceman Mattias Ekholm didn’t take Monday’s skate, just maintenance, but he will play Tuesday. He’s only been on for one ES goal against in five games. He’s been on for 10 Oiler goals 5-on-5. Clearly, all the talk about his age (36) and Father Time nipping at his heels, was a tad premature.

Oiler blue liner Shakir Mukhamadullin was effective in his 11:18 minutes in San Jose in place of Jake Walman who stopped a power play Jackson LaCombe shot on his arm in Anaheim. No word on whether Walman will return against LA. “I thought Shak was great, boxed out well, moved the puck against San Jose. My biggest indicator was there were no fires when Shak was on the ice. It was quiet when he was out there. He had the play where he wanted (Jake) Trouba to run him over to get him into the game and set that up. Other than that he was dialled in,” kidded Babcock.

After Oilers practice Monday, Nugent-Hopkins, who might be ready for either a home against Utah Mammoth here Thursday or in Salt Lake City Saturday, was on the ice with fellow injured forwards Savoie (lower-body), Mattias Janmark (shoulder surgery rehab) and Dach (he took a hit along the boards against Vancouver).

Milan Lucic, now working as a first-year pro scout for Buffalo Sabres (Pacific Division and AHL duties) and living in Los Angeles, dropped by Crypto.com Arena to see his old team Monday.

Hyman’s expected return will give them 14 forwards, seven D and two goalies, so the max 23 but they could make a move after Tuesday’s game. Max Jones seems the most probable to go on waivers and head to Bakersfield.

No league ruling yet on Kings’ D Joel Edmundson, who appeared to leave the bench to come to the aid of partner Brandt Clarke during an altercation last Saturday against Vegas. That can be a 10-game suspension, as the league looks at the video of the incident.

LA winger Mats Zuccarello, 39, who had been on their second line through the first three weeks, was hurt against Florida and is out week-to-week so he won’t be on the ice against the Oilers Tuesday in LA. Not sure if it’s the same shoulder issue he had in before training camp, or it’s something else but it’s a blow for the Kings, winless in four games (two OT losses).

Kings top line remains Quinton Byfield in the middle with Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe on the wings.

Corey Perry, back with the Kings after going to Tampa at last spring’s trade deadline, doesn’t have a point in his three games, playing on the fourth line with Sami Helenius and Andre Lee. He’s on their PP unit, though. Perry, 41, is 33 games from 1,500. Only 25 players have hit that mark.

After struggling last season, ex-Oiler D Cody Ceci, 32, has had a strong first four games as Mikey Anderson’s partner. He’s plus 3, playing close to 19 minutes a game. Ceci is 43 games from hitting 1,000 on his seventh NHL club.