The Success of Zach Hyman Must Torment the Toronto Maple Leafs
Ex-Leaf signed with the Edmonton Oilers during the summer of 2021. His contract has looked like a bargain ever since.
During the summer of 2021, the Toronto Maple Leafs chose not to extend first-line winger Zach Hyman. Instead, he signed a free-agent deal with the Edmonton Oilers and joined superstar Connor McDavid.
Let's be clear. At the time, the Toronto Maple Leafs made the right decision. Hyman was a hard-working player, capable of helping offensively, and also killed penalties, but the Leafs had more pressing needs.
Hyman's career-high in goals was twenty-one, and he fought injuries. He was 29 years old at the time and his style of play was conducive to more potential injuries. Handing out long-term contracts to aging, non-superstar players in a salary-cap era is not a recipe for success.
A player entering his 30s, with known knee injuries, with a career high of 21 goals and 41 points, who wants to double his salary and is asking for a commitment until age 36 does not warrant the contract the Oilers gave him. Yes, he earned it, but he did so by defying everything we know about aging in the NHL, let alone assumptions about play-style and injuries.
The Leafs needed to be mindful of having enough space to sign Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and Morgan Rielly. They couldn't be faulted for choosing not to match the Oilers offer, but what Hyman has done since must make the Leafs regret the decision.
Though, keep in mind this as well: When the Leafs let Hyman walk, they signed Michael Bunting for 5x cheaper and for two seasons he posted franchise-level numbers besides Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner at 5v5. His two seasons in Toronto were statistical superior (if not as beloved) to any of Hyman's best seasons as a Leaf.
Hyman has been so good in Edmonton that the Leafs actually regret not signing a 30 year old with bad knees despite replacing him with a superior player (at least compared to what each player did n a Leafs uniform) for 5x less money.
The Success of Zach Hyman Must Torment the Toronto Maple Leafs
Of course, hindsight is 20-20.
Few could have predicted what Hyman has done during his first three years with the Oilers. He has been durable and his production has surged to unexpected levels.
Even the Oilers couldn't have predicted this.
He has increased his goals scored total every year in their uniform, scoring a goal every other game. He has also played 75-plus games in each season.
Hyman has been a big part of the Oilers highly-ranked power-play and he has more than capably filled the front-line winger role with either McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.
He has spent most of this season among the contenders for the Rocket Richard trophy, consistently alternating between second and third among goal scorers, slightly behind Matthews.
Playing with the Oilers' stars is certainly a reason for his success, but he also had the same luxury with the Leafs. Hyman has inexplicably reached new heights in Edmonton, but all is not lost from a Leafs perspective.
A Look at the Positives of Not Resigning Hyman
There is no doubt that Hyman's likely 50-plus goals would look great on the Leafs. Resigning him would have also solved the problem of finding a first-line winger for Matthews and Marner.
Scoring goals, however, has not been the Leafs problem. Hyman has excelled in Edmonton, but he is not a line-driving player in the mold of Matthews, Marner, Nylander, McDavid, or Draisaitl. The Leafs rightfully were budgeting for signing their stars.
And don't forget, aside from this season, and ignoring the power-play (where Hyman wouldn't likely get much opportunity in Toronto since they use one loaded unit he wouldn't be on) Bunting's 5v5 was equal or better than Hymans' in each of the last two years.
It's really only this year that Hyman has been so insanely good that the Leafs regret it.
This season's play from first-line left winger, Matthew Knies has been inconsistent, but the Leafs are in their third season of using a league-minimum player in Hyman's old spot and that adds a ton of value elsewhere in the lineup.
Knies' play is likely to ascend in future seasons at a lower cost and percentage of the salary cap. He is the type of player (young, cheap, and talented) that the Leafs should surround their stars with.
Lastly, it is unlikely that Hyman's play will continue to elevate. He still has four years remaining at a $5.5 million AAV. Turning 32 this summer, it is still possible the contract may not age well.
Even if it does, the Leafs made the right move to let Hyman walk. As your players hit 30, you have to let some of them go or you end up like Chicago after their Cup wins - just a bunch of old overpaid players you can't build a team around. The Leafs don't want to waste the last years of Matthews and Marner like the Hawks did with Toews and Kane.
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In the short term, the Toronto Maple Leafs most likely look at Hyman's success in Edmonton with a tinge of both envy and regret. Yet, if they look hard enough, there is still a bright side to another ex-Leaf excelling in someone else's uniform.