Zach Hyman is the Oilers’ lone representative on the NHL Network’s list of Top 20 Wings Right Now, coming in at number 11.
It comes off the heels of a dominant season where Hyman finished third in the league in goals with 54, behind only Sam Reinhart and Auston Matthews, during the regular season and led the playoffs in goals with 16, setting a salary cap era record. His 77 points in 80 games had him fourth on the team in scoring while his 22 postseason points had him tied for fourth alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Considering that last year he did not crack the top 20, it is quite impressive to see him rank just outside the top 10 a year later. Hyman finished ahead of the likes of Filip Forsberg, Brady Tkachuk, and Kyle Connor while placing one spot behind Mitch Marner.
Not that the Oilers faithful needed any more proof of just how integral he has been to the Oilers since arriving in 2021, but this honour is another reminder of his importance to the team’s success.
The Leafs’ hesitancy to meet Hyman’s asking price has been the Oilers’ gain as his $5.5 million cap hit over the next four years could go down as the best-value contract of the salary cap era. He has already proven to be worth every penny by finding another gear offensively, as was evident by his 83-point campaign in 2022-23, which remains his career high. He also was able to find instant on-ice chemistry with Connor McDavid and the duo seem to bring out the best in each other from an offensive standpoint. Even if he is not sharing the ice with the best player in the world, Hyman continues to find ways to elevate his game and come up big when Edmonton needs a goal.
All of which is to say that Hyman is the best winger on the Oilers roster right now and it’s not even close. Given the uncertainty surrounding Dylan Holloway with him potentially being nabbed by the Blues via an offer sheet, Hyman could become even more dependent on next season and beyond. If that’s the case, Edmonton can rest easy knowing they have the 11th-best winger in the NHL right now on their side.

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