Getty Zach Hyman says leaving the Maple Leafs was an easy decision.
Zach Hyman says leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Edmonton Oilers in free agency in 2021 was an easy decision.
Hyman was born in Toronto but after the Maple Leafs were eliminated in the 2021 playoffs, he left his hometown team as he signed a seven-year $38.5 million deal with the Oilers. The signing was a bit of a surprise, but speaking to reporters ahead of the Stanley Cup Final on June 7, Hyman says the decision was easy as Toronto didn’t want to bring him back.
“Yeah, it’s easy when it’s really not your decision. It was an easy decision for me. We closed the book on Toronto, I’ve said it multiple times, Edmonton immediately was the place that I had my eye on. It was the best decision I have ever made,” Hyman said to the media on June 7.
Once Hyman realized the Maple Leafs wouldn’t bring him back, Edmonton became his preferred destination. According to Hyman, he thought the Oilers gave him the best chance to win, while also being a good place to live for his family.
“It was a place that I would fit in well on a personal level, playing with unbelievable players and it was the place that I thought would have the best chance to win, the team that I thought I could help the most get to this point,” Hyman said.
“That is the ultimate goal, for me, for my wife, for our family it was finding a place to live that we could grow our family and Edmonton was that place. Selfishly finding a place where I could win a Stanley Cup because that is my goal, that has been my dream since I was a little kid,” Hyman added.
Hyman has fit in nicely with Edmonton as this past season he recorded 54 goals and 23 assists for 77 points. In the playoffs, the winger has 14 goals and 4 assists for 18 points in 18 playoff games.
Hyman has ‘Exceeded’ Oilers’ Expectations
When Hyman signed with the Oilers on July 28, 2021, the expectation for the team was to be a 20-to-25 goal scorer. With the Maple Leafs, his career high had been 21 goals, which Hyman has surpassed in all three seasons with Edmonton.
“What he’s doing is pretty remarkable,” Oilers general manager Kenny Holland said to NHL.com. “Just take a look at his numbers. I mean, when we signed him as a free agent in 2021 for seven years at a deal worth $38.5 million, which is $5.5 million per year, we hoped we were getting at best a guy who would score 20-30 goals per year. He has way, way, way exceeded our wildest expectations.”
Hyman currently leads the NHL in scoring in the playoffs with 14, four ahead of his teammate Leon Draisaitl.
Oilers GM Explains Why They Targeted Hyman
Hyman not only wanted to sign with the Oilers in 2021, but Edmonton was very interested in him.
According to Holland, he and the Oilers front office thought Hyman would help the team score near the net and wouldn’t be afraid to get into the corners or play in the dirty areas.
“I met with our staff and we immediately identified Zach and Warren Foegele as targets,” Holland said to NHL.com. “We needed help in the cycle game and the dirty areas, and we thought Zach was ideal to help us in those aspects.”
Hyman has done just that as he has helped lead the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals.