3 Things That Still Surprise Us About Zach Hyman

Every now and then, a player comes along who makes you rethink what you think you know about how the NHL works. Zach Hyman is one of those players.

In The Hockey Writers’ draft profile of Braeden Cootes, Hyman was used as a comparison. The two aren't identical — Hyman has played wing throughout his career, while Cootes was drafted as a centre. But there are some obvious similarities in how they play. Both are known for their work ethic, their willingness to compete and their ability to get to the difficult areas of the ice.

But the more you look at Hyman's career, the more there are three things that still stand out.

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Hyman Became a Star Later Than You'd Think.

The first surprise is simply how long it took Hyman to become an NHL goal scorer. He wasn't drafted until the fifth round in 2010, and he didn't become a regular NHL player until his mid-20s. Even after establishing himself with the Toronto Maple Leafs and later the Edmonton Oilers, nobody was looking at Hyman and thinking he was going to become a 50-goal scorer.

Then he did exactly that in 2023-24. That's a pretty remarkable transformation for a player whose biggest selling point early in his career was his work ethic.

Hyman Scores Without Having an Obvious Superstar Skill.

The second thing that still surprises me is how Hyman scores his goals. He isn't a great one-on-one player in the traditional sense. He doesn't have an especially flashy release, dazzling hands or the kind of highlight-reel moves that immediately make you think "goal scorer." What he does have is an understanding of where goals are scored.

Hyman gets to the net. He wins battles. He finds loose pucks. He gets his stick on shots. He keeps working when other players have stopped. That's not particularly glamorous, but it works.

Hyman Is More Than Just a Scorer.

The third surprise is that Hyman's value doesn't disappear when he isn't scoring. He's responsible defensively and has received down-ballot Selke Trophy votes over the years. That's important because it shows that his game isn't simply about standing beside Connor McDavid and cleaning up rebounds.

Obviously, playing with McDavid helps. Nobody should pretend otherwise. But McDavid doesn't turn every hard-working winger into a 50-goal scorer. As Hyman's career has shown us, sometimes that player can surprise you.

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