It was far from a perfect year for Zach Hyman. He racked up 27 goals and 44 points in 73 games this season, cutting his goal total in half and shaving 33 points off in a year that saw his lowest totals in all three offensive categories since he joined the Oilers.

Nobody expected him to be a 54 goal regular season and 16 goal playoff performer again, but the dip in his offensive production was certainly a concern this season. But one could argue that Hyman simply returned to the player he was before joining the Oilers. After all, Hyman was a player who had carried a 12.2 shooting percentage in his six years in Toronto — a number that climbed to 13 percent in his first year and a staggering 18.6 percent last season.

That number dipped back to 12.9 percent this season, right in line with his past production in Toronto, with his .37 goals per game, .23 assists per game and .60 points per game close to what he had with the Leafs — a .25 goals per game, .29 assists per game and a .54 points per game.

His drop in scoring coincided with weaker offensive years from the likes of Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard, and certainly was something the Oilers were missing this year.

Despite that, he still remained a productive player for the Oilers. They dominated the pace of play with him on the ice, and individually, Hyman impacted his game in a big way.

According to Hockey Viz, Hyman drove offence at a 20 percent rate above league average, defence at a league average rate and work on the power play at a league average rate. Overall, his contributions were that of an average first-line player.

Given his contract that sees him earn $5.5-million per year, it goes without saying that he’s been the best free agent signing in franchise history.

Come the playoffs, Hyman elevated his game in a big way, becoming a massive physical force laying a staggering 104 hits in 15 games before he was injured in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. He was on pace to not only break, but entirely smash the playoff hits record.

And with him out of the lineup against the Florida Panthers, the Oilers physical game dipped. After laying 40.3 hits per game against the L.A. Kings, 34.8 against the Vegas Golden Knights, and 46.4 against the Dallas Stars, it dropped to 33.8 per game against the Panthers. His physical presence was surely missed in the Final, as was his ability to help generate offence in the offensive zone.

Hyman will be another player hungry heading into next season, and while his start to the season could be slow due to the wrist injury he suffered, he’s someone who can be a big impact player as the season progresses.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.