BLOG: Hyman facing the Maple Leafs in best form of his career

TORONTO, ON – For the Toronto Maple Leafs, 'protecting the blue paint’ will have a heightened level of importance tonight when it comes to keeping the Edmonton Oilers – but more specifically Zach Hyman – off the scoresheet at Scotiabank Arena on Hockey Night in Canada.

That’s because they know the hard-working winger will be all over the crease tonight against his hometown team and former teammates as he tries to reach 50 goals in front of friends and family against the organization that let him walk to Edmonton as a free agent in the summer of 2021.

“It’s been incredible seeing him get his hat-tricks,” said former Maple Leafs teammate William Nylander, who has 38 goals this season. “It’s been a lot of fun seeing him have great success there in Edmonton. As a friend, it’ll be fun to play against him tonight too.

“He’s two goals from 50, so not tonight.”

Hyman’s hard work and penchant for dominating the areas surrounding his opponents’ net took on a new meaning when he was a member of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies in 2015-16, earning a new basketball-inspired nickname from his teammates for his ability to own the net-front area.

“When I was with the Marlies, we called him ‘Shaq’ Hyman for a reason because he got to the paint better than anybody,” said Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, who was behind the bench for Toronto’s AHL affiliate during Hyman’s rookie pro season.

“Now he’s playing with a guy that gets the puck to the paint and tilts the ice more than anybody maybe in the history of the game, so it’s a good fit and he works to get to the right places and is getting rewarded for it.”

As for what Hyman would tell that younger version of 'Shaq' Hyman? Just keep putting in the work and soon enough, it'll all be worth it.

"I haven't had the easiest journey in the sense that I was never kind of the best player on my team and nobody thought I would continue to progress, so just continue to hit little milestones and continue to work really hard and just believe in yourself. I think that's the key," he said.

"There's so much noise and as you get to higher levels, there's more noise and there's always people who are questioning your abilities depending on no matter what level you're at, and you just have to have an inner drive and an inner belief and an inner work ethic that if you do things right every day, good things are going to happen."

The 31-year-old certainly didn’t take the easy road in hockey, electing to go the NCAA route with the Michigan Wolverines before being drafted by the Florida Panthers in the fifth round at the 2010 NHL Draft and eventually traded to the Maple Leafs following the end of his college career.

With the Marlies, Hyman began establishing himself at the professional level with his knack for scoring hard-fought goals around the opponents' crease and was a great complementary winger for the Maple Leafs when he made it to the NHL, scoring 21 goals twice and setting a career-high for points in 2018-19 with 41.

But when the door shut on his time in Toronto, another one was wide open in Oil Country.

"I knew from the start that's where I would fit in best and that's where I thought we would have the best chance to win," Hyman said of signing in Edmonton. "Ultimately, what you want to do is win a Stanley Cup, and to have an opportunity to play with Conor and Leon, that was a dream scenario for me and obviously, it's worked out as best as it possibly could have."

As the player who's been the primary feeder to Hyman's goals, McDavid mentioned that all of the winger's success is warranted on his own; and that No. 18 has done an incredible job not only being a secondary scorer, but also a principal leader in almost every single area for the Blue & Orange since he arrived from Toronto in 2021.

It all culminates in a tantalizing opportunity for Hyman to hit 50 goals for the first time against his former team.

"That'd be great," the captain said. "To see him achieve that accomplishment at any point would be great, but obviously this building means a lot to him. Playing here and being from here with lots of family here, it'd be great."

"Everybody's making a big deal out of it," Hyman said. "I don't think I've won here yet, so that's the focus and you can never really choose when you score. You go to the areas and you make plays. Just try to do your part."