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Toronto Maple Leafs: Zach Hyman More Than Matthews’ Passenger

By Tim Chiasson

Dec 13, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Zach Hyman (11) is stopped on a breakaway by San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones (31) at Air Canada Centre. The Sharks beat the Maple Leafs 3-2 in the shootout. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Zach Hyman (11) is stopped on a breakaway by San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones (31) at Air Canada Centre. The Sharks beat the Maple Leafs 3-2 in the shootout. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman is playing the role of effective linemate for Auston Matthews at even strength, but he’s certainly not just along for the ride.

With Hyman, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been getting excellent play from the second year professional.

Hyman was criticized early on in the year when he failed to produce on the scoresheet, with many people calling for his removal from Auston Matthews’ line – a common knee-jerk reaction in the hockey capital of the world.

After his near public hanging, Zach Hyman just continued to be Zach Hyman and the results came.

Through 39 games so far this season, Hyman has 18 points – all even strength – and sports a 2.13 P60, which is an excellent total. He has as many primary even strength points (13) as Connor Brown (13) and Nazem Kadri (13) have total even strength points.

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Defensively he has a relative fenwick-against-per-60 of -2.72, good enough for fourth on the Leafs (min 200 TOI) at 5v5 and is the Leafs 2nd best penalty killing forward at -3.28 relFA60.

The Auston Matthews Effect

Certainly being on Matthews’ line is a bonus for any player, not just a typecast journeyman like Hyman, but Matthews is by no means dragging Hyman along.

Together they have undeniable chemistry and own a 52.8% CF% when on the ice together, but when they’re apart Auston Matthews only has a 0.3% edge on his linemate.

At 5v5, Hyman has 17 of his 18 points while on the ice with Matthews – but he’s only spent ~59 minutes away from the Leafs superstar so far this season at evens.

The pair have a goals-for percentage of 55.8 when they’re together. Apart, Hyman drops to 40% and Matthews plummets to 33.3%. Again, Hyman is more than just tagging along.

In a similar fashion, Chris Kunitz was long heralded as Sidney Crosby’s tag-along even though statistics show him as a contributing, effective player in his own right.

A Case To Be Made For Powerplay Time

There’s a case to be made for Hyman to get a look on the powerplay, if only because he’s a more effective player, in general, than some of the Leafs who have seen more time with the man advantage.

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Brown (28 min), Soshnikov (33) and Komarov (85) all have more time on the powerplay units than Hyman (9) does. From a statistical and chemistry standpoint, that’s almost criminal.

Zach Hyman is establishing himself as a viable all-situation player in the National Hockey League. Don’t let his point totals and pro-rated projection over 82 games fool you, he’s playing above what his initial role was and showing that he isn’t just a simple role player. He’s an effective NHL player.

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