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‘It Wasn’t About The Money,’ says Oilers Forward Zach Hyman explains his departure from the Maple Leafs. Prior to the Stanley Cup Final, Hyman signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers in July 2021.
Before the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, former Toronto Maple Leaf and current Edmonton Oiler Zach Hyman had the opportunity to reflect on his decision to leave Toronto in the summer of 2021.
In an interview with NHL.com, Hyman remarked that “coming here [Edmonton] was the best decision of my life” and that “it wasn’t about the money”. From the Maple Leafs’ perspective, they found themselves in a harsh reality of being pressed against the salary cap, forcing the club’s administration to make difficult decisions, including allowing Hyman to leave for free.
“I’d have loved to be a Maple Leaf for life,” Hyman added. “I am from there, and so are our family. But when that door closed and Edmonton showed interest all along, I knew that was the place I wanted to go.”
Despite his desire to stay in Toronto, his hometown, the organisation was unable to offer him the deal he deserved and had earned on the open market. Following a tour of the city, one team emerged from the Hyman sweepstakes: the Edmonton Oilers, who showed serious interest in his skills.
The forward inked a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with a cap hit of $5.5 million each season, which is a steal given his performance since his arrival. Hyman, who had never scored more than 21 goals in a season before, has risen to popularity by scoring 54 goals in 80 games during the 2023-24 regular season, setting career highs in goals in each of his first three seasons with Edmonton.
Hyman had 91 goals and 107 assists for 198 points in 377 regular and postseason games over his six seasons with Toronto (2015-21). In comparison, he has 145 goals and 114 assists for 259 points in 281 regular and postseason games.
Focusing on the playoffs, Hyman has an incredible 28 goals in 46 games with the Oilers, leading this year’s 2024 postseason with 14 – the most since Brayden Point in 2021 – and is only five goals away from tying the record of 19 in one playoff year.
Hyman is one of seven former Maple Leafs players in the Stanley Cup Final, with six of them playing for the Edmonton Oilers. Years later, the Toronto native is proving to be a significant loss for the Leafs. On the other hand, he has shown to be worth every penny and an absolute steal for a contender just four wins away from the Stanley Cup.
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