How big of a problem is it that Zach Hyman is coming off a 54-goal season but has no points in seven games to start 2024-25? Zach Hyman [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA2NjE3MjQ5NzUzMDgxMDM2/usatsi_23265201_168400847_lowres.jpg] Zach Hyman When he finally scores, the likelihood is that goals will come in bunches. Unfortunately, Zach Hyman doesn't have a single goal yet this season with the Edmonton Oilers, and coming off of a 54-goal campaign, that's a concern. It was likely that Hyman would experience some regression after a 2023-24 campaign where he set career bests and was among the NHL's top goal scorers. But, to go from 54 to zero goals with no points in seven games is alarming. Hyman isn't worried. That said, he is aware that he needs to be more effective. It's unusual for him to be hitting a slump this early, something he hasn't experienced at any point during his time with the Oilers. "That's what bothers me the most is when I have an opportunity to score to help us win." He added [https://x.com/EdmontonOilers/status/1849176994526982395], "Usually those go in for me and those would be wins for us." Hyman noted that it's an 82-game season and he's gone through stretches before. He is confident he'll come out of it, as will the Oilers. They are 2-4-1 on the season and not boasting a record most analysts and fans would have predicted. He remarked that the timing simply isn't ideal because no one typically says anything when he's banked some goals early in the season. Because he hasn't, the issues are magnified. Hyman knows he'll eventually get that first marker. The hope is that it might open the floodgates. HOW BIG WILL THE HYMAN DROP-OFF BE? Even if Hyman starts to produce, the chances of him getting anywhere close to his 54-goal season are slim. He'll need to score at a 0.73 goals-per-game pace to get there and that's just a tall order; a nearly 10 percent jump from last season's pace. The question becomes, how much should fans expect his numbers to drop? Is a 40-goal season still realistic? Should Oilers fans be satisfied if he hits 30? What if he doesn't do either? Does the fan base start to turn? The reality is, had you told Oiler fans when the team signed Hyman in 2021 that he would consistently deliver 25-30 goals per season at a price tag of $5.5 million, they probably would have taken it. Many would have been thrilled. But, because he's set the bar so high since his arrival, the idea that he has now played seven games and not scored seems almost too wild to believe. There will be a drop-off. Fans will have to accept it. What becomes important moving forward is limiting that drop-off to a number that doesn't take him out of the equation as one of the Oilers' core producers. Over the last three seasons, he's been a critical part of the team's overall offense. Removing his typically-reliable production from their arsenal is problematic.
