With about a dozen games left in the season, the leader in expected goals in the NHL is, you guessed it, Zach Hyman. It’s not actually that crazy—he finished with 51 expected goals last year according to MoneyPuck—but for a guy who’d never scored over 27 goals coming into last year, the offensive explosion has been incredible.
It obviously helps he plays with Connor McDavid, who feeds Hyman chance after chance in high-danger areas, and it helps he grew up wealthy (sorry I had to), but 50 goals is 50 goals, no matter who you play with.
What’s set Hyman apart this year is his finishing ability. Like I said, Hyman had 51 expected goals last year, but he only finished with 36. In his first year in Edmonton, he scored 27 goals but was expected to score 34 according to MoneyPuck. For the first time in his career, his actual scoring has exceeded his expected scoring this season.
His goals have been the story this year, for good reason, but he’s always been a great player. Mostly because of his relentless motor.
He does the dirty work
Along with being a 50-goal scorer, Hyman is maybe the best forechecker in all of hockey. He’s not a huge guy, but he has mastered the craft of going into corners and getting pucks. And when you play with the best player in the world, getting them possession is your most important job.
Hyman is usually F1 on the forecheck, meaning he’s the guy going after the puck and trying to get the first touch. He’s completely fearless, and knows exactly how to position himself to give him the best chance of getting that touch.
He prioritizes beating defencemen to the corner, which puts him at a greater risk of being hit from behind, but he’s strong enough to fend defenders off once he passes them. Not many guys do this—they’ll settle for engaging the D-man from behind in the corner and try to battle their way through—but Hyman knows the easiest way to win a forecheck is to just be the first guy to the puck.
If he can’t beat a D-man in a race, he can out-muscle them once they engage on the boards, and he has a strong stick to keep possession or take pucks away when he needs to. He’s one of the hardest workers in the league, even though he grew up with money (sorry I had to again), and puts his all into every battle.
And when he does get the puck, he’s just a smart player. He plays with McDavid, and knows the easiest way to win his minutes is to get that guy possession. Hyman instinctively knows where to send the puck after winning a battle, and knows where he should go without it. It’s amazing to watch.
How he’s scored 50
There’s no secret Hyman scores most of his goals the same way. His average shot distance is just over 18 feet from the net according to MoneyPuck. For reference, Auston Matthews’ is almost 26 feet, and David Pastrnak’s is 32 feet.
Simply put, Hyman knows his role. He knows how to play with elite players, and especially elite passers like McDavid. But if everyone could do it, McDavid would be playing with a guy on a league minimum contract.
Hyman leads the league in high-danger expected goals and rebound expected goals. He knows where to be, has a great stick to whack in rebounds and tip-ins, and has great vision to track pucks in tight.
Every goal counts the same, and Hyman knows exactly how to maximize his skillset.
Hard work pays off
No matter what Andrew Berkshire says, Hyman has worked his tail off to get to this point. He spent three years in the OJHL and four years at the University of Michigan. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers, and didn’t sign his Entry-level contract until 2015 with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
You can tell just by watching him he works as hard as anyone. You don’t become one of the best forecheckers and scorers in the NHL because of privilege. The results come from hard work.
He only played one year in the AHL, but that’s because he established himself as a good NHLer basically right away. He’s never had a year where he sat below 50% expected goals at 5v5 according to Natural Stat Trick. And this year, he sits at a ridiculous 62.9%.
Hyman discourse has been crazy recently after you-know-who came after him for coming up wealthy. No one asked for my two cents but I’m going to give it anyway.
Hockey is a very expensive sport, and I think just about everyone acknowledges that. And yes, rich people are given advantages (everywhere in life, not just hockey). But the vast, and I mean vast, majority of NHLers grew up in homes with money.
Singling out Zach Hyman, one of the most beloved guys in the sport by fans, media, and players, right after a historic achievement, is hilarious.
Does Berkshire have a point that hockey should better acknowledge the price tag that comes along with the sport? Sure. But honestly, I think most people are quite aware of how expensive hockey is, and are also aware most NHLers grew up with a lot of advantages.
I mean, Sam Reinhart just scored his 50th goal of the year, and his dad played in the NHL. Should we be mad that he had the advantage of being raised by an elite hockey player?
And if Hyman’s success is the cause of money, why aren’t his brothers playing with McDavid? Why did Griffin Reinhart only play 39 NHL games?
A historic season
Not many guys can say they scored 50 goals in an NHL season. It’s a career-defining achievement, and one the former fifth-round pick should cherish forever.
Hell, Hyman leads the league in 5v5 goals right now. He could finish ahead of Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon, and David Pastrnak in goals at even strength. Just think about that.
No matter how you slice it, this season has been one for the ages from Hyman. The Oilers couldn’t have asked for more from the winger, now all we can do is hope he continues it in the playoffs.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
