Zach Hyman contract: How valuable is the winger to Oilers three years on?

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Jul 28, 2024 21:57 GMT

Following the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first-round exit in the 2021 playoffs, Zach Hyman was among the biggest question marks surrounding the team. Hyman was coming off a four-year, $9 million extension with Toronto, but there was no clear indication he would re-sign with the team. More specifically, it was unclear whether the Leafs wanted to retain him.

For the most part, Hyman had played reasonably well for the Leafs. He was a worker bee who hunted pucks and played a tough, physical style. This style meshed well with former coach Mike Babcock.

Hyman rose from a bottom-six forward to playing on the top line with Auston Matthews. When Sheldon Keefe took over, Hyman played alongside Matthews and Mitch Marner on the top unit. Hyman was the hound who retrieved pucks for the two.

During the 2020-21 season, Hyman played his best alongside Matthews and Marner. In 43 games, he notched 15 goals and 18 assists. But as Hyman was set to hit free agency, the cap limited how much the Leafs could offer.

Perhaps the most surprising part of the situation was that the Leafs never actually offered Hyman a contract at all. The club simply let him walk, as if then-GM Kyle Dubas felt Hyman could be easily replaced.

Rumors suggested that the Edmonton Oilers were willing to offer draft picks to secure Hyman’s rights, but the Leafs declined. By the time free agency rolled around, the Oilers shocked most analysts by signing Hyman to a seven-year, $38.5 million deal. At the time, the contract was viewed as an overpay, but in hindsight, things look much different.

Zach Hyman's contract is worth every penny so far

At first, the plan wasn’t for the Oilers to pair Hyman with Connor McDavid, but Zach Hyman eventually found himself on the same line as McDavid. That’s when Hyman’s numbers took off. In his first year in Edmonton, Hyman scored 27 goals and 54 points in 76 games. His numbers climbed the following year to 36 goals and 83 points. This past season, his point totals dropped but his goals exploded, as he notched 54 goals in 80 games.

With these numbers in mind, it’s fair to say that Zach Hyman’s contract has been worth every penny so far. He’s playing like a top-line winger but getting paid like a second-line forward. However, as Zach Hyman told The Hockey News, signing with Edmonton wasn’t about the money; it was more about being wanted.

Ultimately, Hyman’s contract has paid off three years in. But the soon-to-be 33-year-old right wing will need to prove he can keep up his elite-level playing in the latter portion of his deal. If he can at least maintain a 30 to 40-goal pace, the Oilers are expected to be thrilled.

If the Oilers win a Stanley Cup, thanks in part to Hyman’s contributions, the deal will go down as one of the savviest contracts ever signed by the club.