EDMONTON -- Zach Hyman smiled and paused to ponder his answer when asked what it would mean to score his 50th goal of the season in Toronto.
The Edmonton Oilers forward scored twice in an 8-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres at Rogers Place on Thursday, giving him an NHL career-high 48 goals this season. Next for the Oilers is a three-game road trip, which begins against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SN).
“Oh yeah, obviously it would be special, but I’m not focused on it,” the 31-year-old said. “I’m sure I’ll be asked about it a lot (Friday) and on Saturday. Obviously having a look at it now, it’s just kind of cool to go into the game and have an opportunity to do that. But really, I just want to win there. I don’t think I’ve won there since I’ve been here. It would be great to go in there and to win.”
A Toronto native, Hyman spent his first six NHL seasons with the Maple Leafs and left as an unrestricted free agent following the 2020-21 season. He signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contact ($5.5 million average annual value) with Edmonton on July 28, 2021, and is on the cusp of his first 50-goal season, which ironically, could occur in Toronto.
“I would think that there’s maybe something there,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid said. “Of course he’s got the close ties in Toronto, grew up there, born and raised, he has lots of friends and family that are going to be in the building. I think it’ll be special for him; he might tell you otherwise, I don’t know. It would be great to see him get there in Toronto.”
Playing on McDavid’s wing for three seasons, Hyman has elevated his offensive game to new heights; with the Maple Leafs, his best offensive season was in 2018-19, when he had 41 points (21 goals, 20 assists) in 71 games.
In 2021-22, his first season with Edmonton, he had 54 points (27 goals, 27 assists) in 76 games. The following season he improved to 83 points (36 goals, 47 assists) in 79 games.
This season, Hyman has 67 points (19 assists) in 66 games and can become the first Oilers player, outside of McDavid and forward Leon Draisaitl, to score 50 goals since 1986-87, when Wayne Gretzky had 62 and Jari Kurri 54.
He is tied for second in the NHL in goals this season with Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart. Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, who leads the League with 57 goals, is the only player with more.
“He’s been having a heck of a season,” Matthews said Friday. “I think just with him every year he gets better and better. When he was here, when he’s been there, every year he seems to get better and better and it’s pretty evident in his play.
"I’m really happy for him, he’s having an incredible year and scoring at an incredible pace. It’s been fun to watch and we’ll have to try and shut him down tomorrow.”
Selected by the Florida Panthers in the fifth round (No. 123) of the 2010 NHL Draft, Hyman played four seasons at the University of Michigan before turning pro. He did not sign with Florida following his collegiate career and his rights were traded to Toronto.
At the end of his second contract with the Maple Leafs, Hyman became an unrestricted free agent, and though he was looking to stay in Toronto, ended up signing with Edmonton.
It turned out to be the best decision of his career.
“When I was negotiating with Toronto, we made it very clear, my wife and I, before I even thought about looking at other teams, we were going to see if it was going to work in Toronto, because it was all we knew,” Hyman said. “We were from Toronto, our families were there, I had a role there and everything made sense. So why would I leave?
"Obviously things didn’t materialize, and then at that point it was kind of like we were shutting the door on Toronto, that’s not an option anymore. What’s the best option? I told my wife, she has never been to Edmonton, but this is the place I want to go.”
The lure of playing with McDavid and Draisaitl was appealing to Hyman. He was courted by the Oilers, but prior to signing, made a trip to Edmonton with his family to familiarize himself with the city.
“I said to my dad, all things equal, hockey-wise even with Toronto, this gives me the best opportunity to see what kind of player I can be, playing with Connor and Leon,” Hyman said. “There’s a lot of good players in Toronto, but I don’t think I would have ever gotten the opportunity to take the next step. Here, I just fit in really well and have been playing with the best players in the world and found a really good role. I've been able to elevate my game and it’s been fun.”
Hyman has exceeded expectations with the Oilers and is considered one of Edmonton's best-ever free agent signings. No other free agent ever has challenged the 50-goal plateau.
“We talked about Zach being a crucial part of this team and a very popular player on this team and everyone appreciates what a selfless guy he is,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “He’s inspirational to all the other players. He took the long road to get to the NHL and now he’s become a pretty good star. I can say that now with somebody who’s about to approach 50 goals.”
After scoring two goals against the Sabres, the possibility of Hyman getting to 50 in Toronto in front of friends, family and former teammates is very real; four of his five NHL hat tricks have come this season, and he has 10 multiple-goal games.
“He does so many other things," Knoblauch said. "He’s not scoring 50 goals cheating the game and not playing the right way; he is. To hit that milestone, he should be so happy and proud of what he’s accomplished. But to hit that mark would be really incredible and for him to do it at home. We’ll see if we can get him some shifts.”
