Zach Hyman has been a fantastic player for the Edmonton Oilers this year.
Zach Hyman has been a fantastic player for the Edmonton Oilers this year.
EDMONTON -- Zach Hyman is now a 40 goal scorer. He didn't get there overnight, but he's not one to back down from a battle.
Last night against the St. Louis Blues he scored his 39th and 40th goals of the year. Only Auston Matthews has scored more goals in the NHL this year than him.
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Starting with the captain, Connor McDavid. He appreciates Hyman's willingness to go to the areas that are not his forte, "he's always at the net. I like to do a lot of roaming around the zone. I'm not always the guy at the net so I need someone that's gonna be there - and he's obviously there a lot."
The chemistry between the two is on full display. Hyman has scored 32 of his 43 even strength points with McDavid on the ice. The two have found a way to click and they appear unstoppable.
When asked by The Hockey News to talk about Hyman's impact on the Oilers on and off the ice, Kris Knoblauch had a memorable response.
"How much time do you have?"
The Oilers Hall of Fame room (where most head coach availabilities are hosted post-game) filled with laughter. One thing that Knoblauch appreciates the most about Hyman, are the details of his game that a lot of people who focus on the goal-scoring miss.
"He's pretty good defensively. On the forecheck, recovering pucks, I don't think anyone is better than he [Hyman] is around the league."
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When talking about Hyman's goal scoring ability Knoblauch highlighted the strengths that he brings to the Oilers top line. "He's pretty good around the net. Whether it's not getting his stick tied up, finding soft spots around the net, that's hockey smarts."
Moving on to the other ways he impacts the team, Knoblauch points out the attitude Hyman brings the team. "Zach is a great individual in the room, very positive. Everybody likes being around him. [He's a] great teammate."
Stuart Skinner echoed similar thoughts about Hyman. He also pointed out how difficult it is to practice with someone who is so good at being around the crease, "He's just one of the hardest workers. He grinds it out around the net - which is actually quite annoying to practice against."
"The best thing about (Hyman) is the type of person he is off the ice. He's always in a good mood no matter what is going on. That goes a long way."
McDavid added on to that, "He's a guy that brings it every single day. [He] brings it with a positive attitude, a smile on his face - even when things aren't going well."
As for reaching the achievement of becoming a 40 goal scorer, McDavid highlighted how good his wingman has been this season, "He's been playing great this year. He's banging in goals left, right and center."
Skinner summarized his thoughts on Hyman hitting the 40 goal milestone for the first time;
"I'm extremely happy for him, I'm extremely proud of him."
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