Should the Leafs Regret Losing Zach Hyman? Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA0NjI5MjE4NjQ0OTkzMjQ3/usatsi_22564495_168400847_lowres.jpg] Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins In his ongoing quest from being a grinder to a 51-goal scorer, Zach Hyman has endured a ton of criticism. He's been called a "tap-in merchant" and "opportunistic." Some have suggested that he's been the benefactor of playing with some of the most talented players in the league and that anyone could do what he does with Connor McDavid as his linemate. But when one hockey media member went on Tik-Tok and said that the only reason why the Edmonton Oilers forward has had so much success this year is because his parents were rich, the reaction was universal: "This is purely false." It is true that Hyman comes from a wealthy background. But you could say that about most of the league. Hockey is increasingly expensive. It takes a lot of money to play house-league, never mind Triple-A. That being said, Hyman's journey is one of perseverance and hard work. He spent four years at the University Michigan, where he scored two goals as a freshman, four as a sophomore, seven as a junior and then 22 as a senior. He was drafted in the fifth round. He spent a year in the minors, where he finished sixth in team scoring. In his first season with the Maple Leafs, he had 10 goals. The following year, he had 15. Then, 21 in back-to-back seasons. It wasn't until he signed with the Oilers that he finally broke through. Even then, Hyman didn't reach the 50-goal mark until he had turned 31 years old. If that's not hard work, then I don't know what it is. Neither does the hockey community, who universally praised Hyman while passing off the criticism as nothing more than jealousy.
