Why Zach Hyman's Most Important Attribute to the Oilers Wasn't His 54 Goals

Zach Hyman will bring goals next season, but the Edmonton Oilers can count on him to bring something else, too.

It's easy to say Zach Hyman was a difference-maker for the Edmonton Oilers last season because he scored 54 goals. 

Adding another 16 goals in 25 playoff games during the Oilers' run to the Stanley Cup final only hammers that fact home. 

Still, Hyman's 70 combined goals last season might not have been the most important element he brought to the team. 

Hyman is a true leader in every sense of the word. On a roster filled with elite skill and highlight-reel talent, he's the heartbeat of the team on and off the ice. He's vocal when he needs to be and quiet when others need to speak. He's incredible in the community, and his work ethic is admirable. He can be a complementary piece or an instigator to spark the production of others.

This week, a video surfaced providing even more evidence of just how important Hyman is to a team driven to get back to the final.

While filming footage for the team's subscription streaming service Oilers+, cameras caught the devastation after the Oilers' Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers. In the original footage that made its way to social media, no one said anything. It was dead silent in that room, with the look of defeat and devastation on every face. It was heartbreaking and emotional, and it's what many teams feel when they come that close and can't quite finish the job. 

Later, footage surfaced of Hyman speaking to that same group of guys. 

In the video, Hyman said nothing will make this feel any better, but he had more to motivate his teammates. 

"I know we're going to be back. I know it in my f-----g heart." He then added, "I hope everybody comes back to, this team's f-----g special." 

Hyman isn't just talking the talk here. While Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will be motivated to finish the job, so will Hyman. He'll be relied on to push the right buttons and bring guys into the fight. He'll remind the players how that moment after Game 7 felt. 

He doesn't need to score 54 goals to have the kind of impact that can take the Oilers to the Stanley Cup. Hyman will be counted on to produce, and his history in Edmonton shows he will. But if a few fewer goals means Hyman gets the most out of everyone else, the Oilers will take it. 

The Oilers have offense. They added more in the summer with Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson. What they'll need are battlers. Hyman can be both. That's what makes him so important. 

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