Revisiting Zach Hyman's tenure in Toronto ahead of his return on Wednesday
Wednesday night when the Leafs take on the Edmonton Oilers it will mark the return to Toronto for former Leaf Zach Hyman. Hyman spent 6 seasons in Toronto and was beloved by Leafs Nation for his relentless work ethic.
This summer during free agency, Hyman landed himself a 7-year contract with the Oilers at $5.5 million per season after being unable to reach an agreement with the Leafs. As much as Leafs fans did not want to see Hyman go, it was a contract that he had undeniably earned and a price that the Leafs were unable to afford.
With Hyman making his return to Toronto on Wednesday, let's take a look back at his time here and reminisce about one of the best role players this team has seen in the last 20 years.
Hyman is one of the most dogged workers in the league and it was on display every time he stepped on the ice for the Leafs. In the LetsGoLeafs Prime Picks roundtable last week, our own Ben Hodgson talked about how Gary Roberts could score, win battles, and play a physical game. To give some of the younger fans an idea of what Roberts was like, Ben said "imagine a rabid Zach Hyman who wouldn't hesitate to put you through the glass or over the boards. The perfect combo of skill and balls."
Zach Hyman showed shades of Gary Roberts during his time as a Leaf as well. Maybe not in the sense that he'd deliver bone-jarring hits, but he did become a perennial 20 goal scorer and would've scored more had it not been for the pandemic. Meanwhile, he would win a lot of battles and brought his own style of physicality to the Leafs' top line. He allowed for fans like myself, who may be a bit too young to remember the glory days of Gary Roberts as a Leaf to get a small glimpse of what he was like.
One of the reasons I loved Hyman so much was because of how much he improved as a Leaf over time. Hyman played his first stretch of Leafs hockey with William Nylander and P.A. Parenteau in 2016, which, as we know, is the year the Leafs finished last, and were given the best opportunity at winning the draft lottery, which they did. We all know the rest. The next year he was on a line with Auston Matthews and Nylander. He was a mainstay in the Leafs' top six throughout the rest of his tenure in Toronto.
When Hyman was getting his feet wet in the NHL he was a polarizing player for Leafs Nation. He was a hard worker and played a game that many loved, but his finishing abilities were fairly subpar. In his rookie season, Hyman scored 10 goals in 82 games. It should've been more considering the chances that his line was generating. Some viewed him as one of Mike Babcock's "toys" and that he was more suited for a depth role. Hyman proved a lot of people wrong shortly thereafter.
Hyman's hard work payed off and he got better over time. He broke out offensively in the 2018-2019 season when he scored 21 goals while playing on a line with Mitch Marner and John Tavares. Hyman never looked back from there. He became a perennial 20-goal scorer and had it not been for the pandemic, it's likely that Hyman would have scored 30.
For the bulk of his time as a Leaf, Hyman played with the stars. Did it inflate his production? Maybe. That being said, the forward knew his role on the line and he played the role exceptionally well. He forechecked hard, won puck battles, brought physicality to his line, and eventually put the pieces together offensively.
Hyman gave his all to Toronto and while it was tough to see him go, it's nice to see him flourishing in Edmonton this season. He got the payday he deserves and should be celebrated when he makes his return. Unfortunately, it will be in front of 0 fans, but once he finally does get to play in front of a packed crowd at Scotiabank Arena, I expect a standing ovation for the man that gave so much for the blue and white.
