For the first time in his NHL career, Zach Hyman is a 50-goal scorer.
On Sunday afternoon against the Ottawa Senators, Zach Hyman tapped in a backdoor pass from Connor McDavid on the Power Play for his 50th goal of the season. He becomes the 97th player in league history to reach that milestone.
The 31-year-old winger has found a home with the Edmonton Oilers, scoring 113 goals in 223 games in his third season with the Oilers. To put that into perspective, Hyman only had 86 goals in 345 games spanning six seasons in Toronto.
One Of The Best Free Agent Signings In Recent Memory?
The former 5th-round pick of the Florida Panthers has exceeded expectations since inking a seven-year, 38.5 million dollar contract with the Oilers in 2021. This deal was heavily scrutinized on social media at the time. Evident by this tweet that has since been deleted:
Now, it is looking like one of the best free agent signings in the last decade. Hyman is not the best player signed during the free agent frenzy, but he is one of the best in terms of production relative to his cap hit. Zach has a cap hit of $5.5 million and is severely outperforming his contract. He brings incredible value to a team that is consistently strapped against the salary cap.
The McDavid-Hyman Duo
What makes Hyman effective is his ability to get to the front of the net and finish in tight. He has scored 41 of his 50 goals from either the crease or just in front of it. He complements McDavid extremely well. McDavid creates time and space with his speed and has the elite vision to make plays. Hyman’s ability to get to the front of the net makes this a perfect combination.
The Hyman Effect
For years, the dynamic duo of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid torched the opposition, but outside that, the Oilers had no offensive support. They were not getting production from the rest of the lineup. While that is still somewhat the case, the emergence of Hyman has allowed Kris Knoblauch to disperse Connor and Leon on separate lines to have more balance throughout the lineup. As a result, this has elevated the play of Ryan McLeod and Warren Foegele. They were the beneficiaries of being on a line with Draisaitl for large stretches of this season and made the most of their opportunities.
On top of Hyman’s skill, his tenacity, relentlessness, consistency, and work ethic make him a great player and an exceptional teammate. He always has a positive attitude and is by far the most consistent Oiler.
During the second intermission against the Senators, Hyman spoke with Gene Principe and had this to say:
“If you stick with it and are always positive, things tend to go your way. Just work hard and I hope it’s a good lesson out there for all the kids who aren’t the best and are just out there working hard”.
Zach is truly a humble individual and is a role model for the next generation. Zach Hyman might be the NHL’s most unlikely 50-goal scorer. He is a prime example of how hard work pays off. The Toronto native is currently tied for second in NHL scoring with Sam Reinhart. He is eight goals back of Auston Matthews for the league lead.
How many goals will Hyman have by the end of the season?
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