Toronto Maple Leafs Zach Hyman Can No Longer Play on Top Line

The Toronto Maple Leafs season is over.

As is the norm in the NHL, when the season is over, you get news about players who were playing through injuries.  In this case, it’s Toronto Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman.

Hyman will undergo surgery on Monday to repair a torn ACL.

The recovery time is six months, so Hyman will likely miss the start of next season.

Zach Hyman

According to the Mayo Clinic, the Anterior Cruciate Ligament is one of the major ligaments in the knee, and is a common injury with sports that feature sudden stops and starts. Ligaments are “strong bands of tissues that connect one bone to the other.”  (Mayoclinic.com).

The pain is said to be sever, and if Hyman was playing on this, he’s an animal.  The NHL often lionizes players who play through pain, but frankly, the difference between players is so marginal in the first place, that it should probably be considered a selfish move.

Hyman, playing on a torn ACL played over a minute more than Auston Matthews in the third period of game seven.  This is why people want Mike Babcock fired, in case you’re wondering.  There’s no way around the fact that that is just bad coaching.

I don’t personally want him fired, but I definitely understand the sentiment.

I am a fan of Zach Hyman, and his regular season 52.5% shot-attempt percentage was quite good. The problem with Hyman is that he probably is playing too high in the lineup.

He had 41 points when the other two guys on his line where both approaching 100.

I don’t know how that is defensible.  No matter what he brings, it doesn’t compensate for another 40 points coming from that line.

He was also a 38% player when not on the ice with Tavares.  That’s Colton Orr levels of effectiveness. (Naturalstattrick.com for all stats).

Zach Hyman could be the best fourth liner in the NHL.  But he shouldn’t be playing on a first line.  He also makes over $2 million dollars, and has a no-trade clause that kicks in July first.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Toronto Maple Leafs move on from him.  It won’t be a popular move, but the Leafs need better wingers.

Zach Hyman is popular for the same reason Matt Martin and Darcy Tucker were popular.  He’s a good player, but he’s too expensive to play on the fourth line and he doesn’t score enough to play in the top six.