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Zach Hyman heads for a twelve-goal season

 Jonathan Di Gregorio
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Zach Hyman heads for a twelve-goal season
Credit: Getty Images
To say that Zach Hyman has had an ordinary start to the season would be an understatement.

The Edmonton Oilers forward has just three goals in twenty games so far this season. At this rate, he’ll end the campaign with twelve goals, a far cry from last year’s 54.

In fact, even if we exclude his last season, the Toronto-born player is well below his usual output since joining the Oilers. He scored 27 and 36 goals in his first two campaigns with the team, in 76 and 79 games respectively.

The Edmonton club must be hoping for a breakthrough from its forward, as it could use a little more production up front, because with the exception of its two star forwards, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, none of them has more than five goals or more than ten points.

This is one of the reasons why the club has had a fairly ordinary start to the season, with 24 points in 22 games, good for fifth place in the Pacific Division, one point away from a playoff spot.

For a team that many predicted would reach the Stanley Cup Final, this is a rather disappointing first quarter of the campaign.

And with only three goals, the Oilers are paying dearly for Hyman, who signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with the club in the summer of 2021. Although his contract only counts for 5.5 million on the salary cap, the forward will receive 7.7 million this year. That’s an expensive goal!

What’s more, his disappointing start to the season could cost him his place with Team Canadiens for the 4 Nations Confrontation. The man who many saw as part of Canada’s line-up could well see his position slip from his grasp.

One wonders whether the Canadiens will opt for Hyman’s natural chemistry with McDavid, or prefer a player with better stats. We should know shortly, as the final line-ups should be announced within the next few days.

However, it’s possible that Hyman has been playing with an injury for some time, as the Alberta club has just placed the player on the injured list without giving further details.

However, his absence should not be long.

Could this injury explain his slow start to the season? And could it jeopardize his place at the 4 Nations Confrontation?

An interesting case to follow!


Overtime

– Jiricek yes, but at what price?

– Slaf back?

– In Hyman’s absence.

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