Frankie Corrado gives his thoughts on Connor McDavid's linemate breaching 50-goal mark next season

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified Aug 05, 2024 06:41 GMT

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Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers overcame a rocky start to reach the Stanley Cup final, where they faced a tough defeat to the Florida Panthers in an intense Game 7 showdown.

McDavid, along with his standout teammates Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, played crucial roles in steering the Oilers back on course. Hyman scoring a career-high 54 goals in regular season while paired with McDavid on the top line, was a key highlight of their journey.

During a recent SportsCentre segment, TSN hockey analyst Frankie Corrado shared his perspective on Hyman's goal-scoring capabilities.

He suggested that while Hyman had a stellar season of 54 goals, he massively outperformed his expectations. He said (via NHL.rumors):

“I hate to be a buzzkill on this, but Zack Hyman is closer to the floor of 30 goals, and you just think about all the different factors that can happen in a season. Let’s say Connor McDavid gets hurt, and all of a sudden, he’s not playing with him. Let’s say Zach Hyman gets hurt, and he’s not able to play. He probably is more closer to a 30-goal player," Corrado said.

While Hyman has seen progression each year with the Oilers, achieving career highs in goals and points during his three-year stint, there is anticipation from Corrado of a decline in his numbers for the upcoming season:

"But I wouldn’t be surprised if for the next few seasons, Zach Hyman is a 40-plus goal player. But there are just too many variables, too many things that could go wrong, and 50 goals is very difficult to do in the NHL year after year after year."

"We see it where guys score 50 or 52, and the next year, they kind of come back to their regular goalscoring pace. Maybe that’s the case for Zach Hyman. Maybe it isn’t, but I see him closer to the floor 30 than I do the ceiling at 50 on a regular season basis," he added.

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Zach Hyman is inked to a seven-year, $38.5 million contract signed with the Edmonton Oilers in the summer of 2021.

Connor McDavid praises Zach Hyman and his Jewish background

During the 5th annual Zach Hyman Celebrity Classic golf event last month, Connor McDavid shared his thoughts on Hyman's support for the Jewish community.

McDavid highlighted the significant responsibility his linemate carries as a prominent figure in the Jewish community:

"He's a great hockey player, first and foremost," McDavid said. "Being Jewish, he bears a big burden and is the face of that community in hockey. He does an unbelievable job representing himself, his family, and the community."

Connor McDavid and Hyman play their season opener against the Winnipeg Jets at home in Rogers Place on Oct. 9.