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William Nylander issues blunt response on Zach Hyman possibly reaching 50 goals in Oilers-Leafs clash
Ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs' game against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, William Nylander was blunt in his assessment of former teammate Zach Hyman's chances of reaching 50 goals.
With Hyman sitting at 48 goals this season, he has a chance to hit the coveted 50-goal mark against his former Leafs squad in his hometown of Toronto.
But when asked about Hyman's chances, Nylander said:
"He's two from 50...Not tonight," he was quoted as saying by Chris Johnston on X.
Hyman's goal-scoring exploits have been incredible considering his previous career high was 21. Since joining the Oilers in 2021 on a $5.5 million AAV deal, Hyman has tallied 27, 36 and now 48 goals in his third season.
Hyman said he was initially criticized when he joined the Oilers.
"When I signed my deal, people were like, 'Oh, sure, you might like him the first couple of years. But boy, oh boy, he's already peaked,'" Hyman recalled.
However, he has dramatically exceeded expectations.
“There’s no reason you can’t improve. A lot of that has to do with learning the game and understanding the game. At every level I’ve been at, it hasn’t necessarily been an adjustment in skill. It’s been an adjustment in how to be successful,” Hyman added.
Zach Hyman's Edmonton Oilers vs. William Nylander's Toronto Maple Leafs: Game Preview
The Oilers (42-21-4) are coming off an 8-3 win over Buffalo. They average 3.58 goals for and 2.82 against. Their power play is at 26.6% and penalty kill is 80.5%.
Connor McDavid has a stellar 112 points, while Leon Draisaitl has 90. Goalie Stuart Skinner has a 31-13-4 record with a save percentage of .908.
The Maple Leafs (39-20-9) won their last game 7-3 over Washington. They average 3.62 goals for and 3.13 against. Their power play is 26.0% and their penalty kill is 76.6%.
William Nylander has 91 points and Auston Matthews has 89. Ilya Samsonov has an 18-6-7 record and has made 780 saves this season.
Ilya Lyubushkin, Mitchell Marner, Ryan Reaves, John Klingberg, Mark Giordano, Matt Murray, Calle Jarnkrok and Jake Muzzin are unavailable for Toronto tonight. Vincent Desharnais is sidelined for the Oilers.
The Oilers are favorites with -134 moneyline odds.
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