As the 2024 Stanley Cup Final approaches, former Toronto Maple Leaf and current Edmonton Oilers’ forward Zach Hyman had the chance to reflect on the decision that saw him leave Toronto in the summer of 2021. In a sit-down with NHL.com, Hyman stated that “Coming here [Edmonton] was the best decision of my life” and emphasized that “It wasn’t about the money.”
But, as he explained it, it was precisely about the money. But there was more. Hyman felt the Maple Leafs didn’t want him enough. At the same time, the Oilers did want him – enough to pay him close to what he felt he was worth.
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Considering the Maple Leafs Perspective
From the Maple Leafs’ perspective, they found themselves in the harsh reality of riding tightly up against the salary cap. That forced management into tough decisions, including letting Hyman walk out the door for nothing. At the time, Hyman didn’t like it much. But things changed after three seasons.
“I’d have loved to be a Maple Leaf for life,” Hyman shared. “I was from there (Toronto); our families were from there. But when that door closed, and Edmonton had shown interest all along, it was the place I wanted to come.”
Despite his desire to remain in his hometown, Toronto couldn’t offer him the contract he deserved and rightfully earned on the open market. Following a tour of Edmonton, one team emerged for Hyman. The Edmonton Oilers expressed a genuine interest in his services.
The Oilers Signed Him for a Max-Term Contract of Seven Years
The forward signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with a cap hit of $5.5 million a season. It was a bargain compared to the numbers he’d produced upon his arrival. Having never scored more than 21 goals in a season, Hyman has risen to stardom, scoring 54 goals in 80 games during the 2023-24 regular season, setting career highs in goals in each of his first three seasons in Edmonton.
In six seasons with Toronto (2015-21), Hyman scored 91 goals and 107 assists for 198 points in 377 regular and postseason games. In comparison, he has already scored 145 goals and registered 114 assists for 259 points in 281 regular and postseason games with Edmonton.
That said, Hyman has impressed in the playoffs. He has scored 28 goals in 46 games with the Oilers in postseason action, leading this year’s 2024 postseason with 14—the most since Brayden Point in 2021 and just five away from tying the record for one playoff year of 19.
Can Hyman Lead His New Team to the Stanley Cup?
Interestingly, Hyman is one of seven former players with ties to the Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup Final, six of whom are on the Oilers. Three years later, the Toronto native is proving to be a piece the Maple Leafs deeply miss. On the other hand, he has turned out to be worth every penny and an outright steal for a contender four wins away from the Stanley Cup.
All that said, had he stayed in Toronto, his deployment would have been different. He would not likely have been nearly as productive. It’s funny how, on one team, a player can play second fiddle, yet he becomes a star on another.
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