Can Zach Hyman Have 4th Consecutive Career Year With Oilers?
The worst thing the Toronto Maple Leafs have done is let Zach Hyman walk in free agency and the best thing the Edmonton Oilers have done is take a chance on him. Since joining the Oilers, Hyman has had three career years in a row and Edmonton has only gotten better again.
The team stumbled at the start of last season, lowering the totals of every single player. The Oilers still managed to make it all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. This upcoming season won't start the same way and with a better group around him, Hyman could have a fourth consecutive career year.
In 2021-22, his first with the Oilers, Hyman set career highs in goals (27), assists (27), and points (54). While there would have been no complaining if his numbers stuck around there for a number of years in Edmonton at only $5.5 million AAV, it didn't stop there. In 2022-23, Hyman set career highs again in goals (36), assists (47), and points (83).
It really doesn't seem to matter where Hyman plays, with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, he is going to be effective in hunting down pucks and going to the net. Last season, 2023-24, Hyman set a third consecutive career high in goals, scoring 54. He reached the 50 goals mark for the first time at age 31 and only scored the same amount of power-play goals as the season prior (15).
Hyman will be playing alongside players like McDavid, Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jeff Skinner, Evander Kane, and Viktor Arvidsson all season at 5-on-5 and will be lined up with the same elite power play that has been dominating the league for the past number of seasons.
It will be very tough for Hyman to score 54 goals again, but with the scoring ability of the Oilers' top-6, he does have a better chance to top 47 assists and 83 points if the season doesn't derail at any point. There is going to be a ton of scoring in Edmonton and Hyman should be in on a lot of it, pushing for career highs again and proving just how incredible of a contract it is for the Oilers.
Photo credit: © Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Post a Comment