Five Thoughts from ex-Maple Leafs’ Zach Hyman About His Play and Future

Thought Three: Playing with High-Skilled Players

Hyman agreed with his interviewer that it’s a skill to understand how to play with the highest-level players and even to think at that level. He admitted that it was a little bit of a learning curve at the beginning of his career; however, he thought that he found a way to (as they say) really “just play his own game” and not to change his game based on who you’re playing with. Still, Hyman admitted that it was important to adapt and learn the tendencies of what certain players do on the ice.

Thought Four: On Believing in His Own Abilities

Further to playing with the highest-level players, Hyman said that he found the most success by just going out and playing his game. That included thinking about who he was playing with, where they wanted the puck, and how he could get them the puck in those areas.

Hyman also admitted that he’s always had the fortunate of playing with elite players who wanted the puck all the time. Sometimes he admitted that he second guessed himself; however, he believed he had to be really confident in his own abilities and to just go out there and play.

Thought Five: On What His Role Is with Great Players

Hyman noted that all those elite players demanded the puck by their actions. That is, they went to areas where you almost had to give the puck to them. That’s what great players do, according to Hyman. They want the puck at all times; and, they’ll put themselves in position to get it.

When Hyman gives the puck up, his job is to know how to play away from the puck. For him, that means going to certain areas where you can create secondary-scoring opportunities for those guys; or, go to the net to get a scoring chance yourself; or, to go into the corner and try to strip somebody and win a puck battle so you can get the puck back. Then, the task is to just get the puck into those guys hands as much as possible.