Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe is well aware of the player now Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman is.
Keefe not only coached Hyman for parts of two NHL seasons with the Leafs but also spent the 2015-16 season as his head coach while the two were in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies.
Hyman left the Leafs organization after the 2020-21 season, choosing to sign as a free agent with the Oilers. His career has reached new highs ever since, and he is entering tonight’s game versus the Leafs just two goals shy of 50. Fans who have watched him score this season have marveled at how good he is around the net, something that Keefe witnessed first hand for several years.
“When I was with the Marlies, we called him Shaq Hyman,” Keefe told reporters this morning. “He got to the paint better than anybody. Now he is playing with the guy that gets the puck to the paint and tilts the ice more than anybody, maybe in the history of the game. It’s a good fit.”
It has been an excellent fit indeed, as Hyman has been one of the best free-agent signings in quite some time. Since signing his seven-year, $38.5 million deal, he has 111 goals and 200 points in 221 games. He meshes perfectly with Connor McDavid at 5v5 and has proven to be a great fit on the Oilers’ incredible power play.
A big part of the Oilers’ ability to bring in Hyman came from the Leafs’ unwillingness to give him the same type of money. Scoring 50 in Toronto tonight could serve as revenge for some players, but Hyman seems far more concerned about his team picking up the win.
“It would be special, but I’m not focused on it,” Hyman told reporters after Thursday’s win versus the Buffalo Sabres. “I just want to win [in Toronto]. I don’t think I’ve won there since I’ve been [in Edmonton].”
Hyman and the Oilers will be looking to win their third straight tonight as they look to close the gap between themselves and the Vancouver Canucks for first place in the Pacific Division. Puck drop is set for 5:00 pm MT.
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2024-03-23 16:48:00Z
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