2024–25 Edmonton Oilers player grade: Zach Hyman

Zach’s strengths in 2024–25

Zach Hyman is Edmonton’s sixth highest-paid player overall (forwards, defence, or goalies), with a $5.50M contract. Being the second oldest player on the team at 33-years-old, there are still a lot of important pieces to his game that the Oilers constantly rely on.

With his focus not really being on defence, he is definitely a pure offensive player based on his statistics and his role through how he performs every shift. Hyman was second in team goals, eight in team assists, fifth in team points, fourth in team power play goals, fifth in team power play assists, and third in team shots. Considering that he missed nine games, his stats are not too bad compared to the rest of his teammates.

Aside from that, Hyman finished within the team top eight in plus-minus, sixth in team penalty minutes, and ninth in player average time on ice. Finding himself in the top ten or higher in every major team category is not a bad thing at all. It is honestly pretty impressive in my opinion.

Like I had mentioned, Hyman has a high work rate, particularly in front of the net, strong puck possession and has goal-scoring prowess. He is also known for his physical play and ability to win puck battles. Hyman excels when it comes to holding onto the puck, even when facing pressure, which makes him a valuable asset for the Oilers in offensive zone possession. He is a consistent goal scorer, especially in close quarters situations, and is very good at deflecting shots and crashing the net for rebounds.

Hyman has a relentless work ethic and physical presence, which helps contribute to his effectiveness on the ice. He is a strong two-way player, that can contribute defensively with strong stick checks and a willingness to block shots. He has leadership qualities that are evident both on and off the ice, as he has a positive influence on his teammates and motivates them to perform at a high level.

Hyman’s weaknesses in 2024–25

Zach Hyman’s main weakness this season was his wrist injury, which actually required surgery and unfortunately kept him out of the Stanley Cup Final. He suffered a dislocated right wrist and torn ligaments during the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars, which ended his season early. With this injury, it is also unknown whether or not he will start the 2025–26 season.

Hyman had a strong season in terms of goals, more so in the regular season, and it was noted that he could have been more consistent in capitalizing on opportunities and finishing scoring chances. One area for more improvement, would be his breakout passing and ability to execute those passes effectively. While he is known for his work in front of the net, it was suggested that he could be even more effective in that area, which would help lead to more goals.

Zach Hyman’s 2024–25 performance review

Although he had to mist the Stanley Cup Final due to his wrist injury, Hyman is still the voice that the Oilers look to, who will motivate his teammates to be the best versions of themselves and play at a high level no matter the situation. Will he end up being healthy in time for the start of the 2025–26 season? That question is pretty up in the air right now, but with the right people around him and lots of rest, I truly believe that Hyman could be ready to play by mid-September or early October at the latest.

Throughout his career, Hyman has been a 30-point forward in eight of his 10 seasons, and a 40-point player in six of those—four in a row with the Oilers. As mentioned, he was able to see some great production with 44 points in 73 games. Before he was injured in the playoffs, he looked really good with 11 points through 15 games (five goals and six assists) and was +10. A season that ended with a low moment, he still managed 0.60 points per game through the regular season, which is very impressive when you consider how old he was at that time.

Zach’s 2024–25 player grade

When I look through his regular season and playoffs in terms of performance, I believe that Hyman had an impressive year, good enough to earn him a A-/A grade. My reasoning can be justified above. Some fans may think that I graded him too high, but I believe that it is completely reasonable.

All in all, Hyman has about three years remaining in his current contract, as he is in year five of seven. He will become an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) by the end of the 2027–28 season.

Hyman’s expectations for 2025–26 and beyond

Like I had mentioned, we currently do not know if Hyman will be ready by the start of the 2025–26 season. How long will it take him to heal and get back to 100%? That is the main question that he will be asking himself in regards to his upcoming year. I expect Hyman to get fully healthy by taking it as easy as possible and resting up, that way he can show up in the pre season ready to go.

While Hyman is pretty much a lock to be playing on the Oilers top line next season, with upcoming players in the team’s prospect pool, they may have some players that they will look to. These players may potentially join Connor McDavid and Hyman by playing on the open wing. Matthew Savoie, Maxim Beryozkin, Issac Howard, and Andrew Mangiapane, just to name a few. With the first line being undetermined right now, one thing is for sure and that is, no matter who the Oilers choose, the new first line is going to have plenty of speed and skill.