Oilers’ Hyman on leaving Toronto: “It’s easy when it’s not your decision”

It turns out that Zach Hyman didn’t want to leave Toronto.

While that was always assumed to be the case, the Edmonton Oilers winger confirmed on Friday during a media availability ahead of the Stanley Cup Finals that it was not his decision to depart from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2021 offseason, and was instead made by then-Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas.

“It’s easy when it’s not your decision”, said Hyman about leaving the Leafs.

Hyman left in the 2021 offseason after another disappointing playoff outing for the Leafs, where they blew a 3-1 series lead to the Montreal Canadiens. Hyman was in the final year of a four-year contract with a $2.25 million cap hit, and then went on to sign a seven-year, $5.5 million contract with the Oilers after the Leafs weren’t willing to pay a similar type of contract.

Since then, Hyman has found new levels of success with the Oilers, particularly alongside Connor McDavid. In three seasons with the Oilers, he has 117 goals and 97 assists for 214 points in 235 games played, highlighted by his most recent season where he scored 54 goals and 77 points in 80 games.

Previously with the Leafs, Hyman had success alongside any combination of the Leafs elite core of forwards in Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares, but he wasn’t quite as productive. In six seasons with the Leafs, he had 86 goals and 99 assists for 185 points in 345 games, a significant drop off from the production he’s already had with the Oilers.

Hyman has also seen more success in the playoffs with Edmonton, with 28 goals and 17 assists for 45 points in 46 games, winning six playoff series and making two trips to the Western Conference Final and now one to the Stanley Cup Final. With the Leafs, he had just 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points in 32 playoff games, with no series wins in that span. The Leafs have won a playoff series just once since Hyman’s departure.

The Oilers will continue their quest for the Stanley Cup when the Cup Final against the Florida Panthers begins on Saturday in Florida at 8 p.m. EST.