Zach Hyman becoming one of NHL's best goal scorers for the Oilers
Edmonton Oilers fans were well aware of how good Zach Hyman was before the season began, and the rest of the hockey community is beginning to catch on.
Hyman had a breakout season in 2022-23, his second as an Oiler, scoring 36 goals and 83 points in 79 games. Entering 2022-23, his career high, set the season prior, was 27 goals and 54 points.
Like a fine wine, Hyman just keeps getting better with age. Many assumed that last season was an anomaly for the 31-year-old, but that isn’t the case. He has been even better through 37 games this season, scoring 26 goals and 42 points. It would be naïve to suggest his linemate Connor McDavid hasn’t helped with his totals, but make no mistake; Hyman has become a star player in his own right.
Hyman’s 26 goals have him tied with Artemi Panarin for fifth in the league. He is just two shy of Nikita Kucherov’s 28 for third and seven back of Auston Matthews for the league lead. Since November 11, he has led all NHLers with 22 goals. As the stats show, he has become one of the best goal-scorers in the game.
Often, when we think of elite goal scorers, our minds are drawn to players like Matthews or Alex Ovechkin flying down the wing and whistling a perfectly placed shot through a defender’s legs and right under the bar. That isn’t Hyman’s game, as he would be the first to admit he doesn’t have that type of natural-born skill. What he does have, however, is an outstanding work ethic.
Hyman is fearless when it comes to battling for pucks in front of the net, and is a puck hound on the forecheck. His ability to battle in front of the net allows him to get open for great passes from teammates such as McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. On the highlight reel, it may look like a goal anyone could score, but in reality, it is from his doggedness to remain planted in those areas no matter how much abuse he takes. It may not be as pretty as a classic Ovechkin goal, but it counts just the same on the scoresheet.
His aggressiveness on the forecheck often results in opposing teams coughing up the puck. When this happens, the Oilers are often able to make their opponents pay. Hyman is often the one scoring such goals, but even if he doesn’t, he plays a big role in why it happened.
Due to who he plays with, there will always be detractors suggesting he is nothing but the beneficiary of the best player in the world. Playing with McDavid doesn’t hurt, but the Oilers captain would admit that playing with Hyman has helped him improve his game as well. Any questions surrounding the extension he was given during the 2021 offseason have gone hush, as he has turned into one of the best NHL free agent signings in quite some time.
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