After staking his reputation on a polarizing coaching hire, the veteran forward must now defy aging curves and injury woes to justify his high-stakes gamble in Edmonton.
The Edmonton Oilers went out on a limb by hiring Mike Babcock as the new head coach this offseason. No one stuck their neck out more than Zach Hyman. The former Toronto Maple Leafs forward, who has excelled in every way since coming to Edmonton, advocated for Babcock and reportedly pitched the idea to the team's leadership group. Everyone seems to be on board now, but what happens if things go sideways?
As beloved as Hyman is -- and he's genuinely one of the nicest people -- he's got a lot to lose if this Babcock thing goes south. Essentially, this was his idea. There's no time to waste in Edmonton, and if the Babcock swing misses, there could be severe consequences.
The court of public opinion didn't like the idea of Babcock being brought back from NHL exile. Still, Hyman didn't agree that his old coach was old news. “I obviously had a very good experience with Mike in Toronto," Hyman said at his annual charity golf tournament at the end of July. "He did a great job with a lot of the young players that were there. All of us have had pretty long careers and are still playing. He set the foundation for us. I think he's a phenomenal coach; I think extremely highly of him."
That confidence in Babcock was enough to pique the interest of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, both of whom joined Hyman to sit with Babcock and talk about a possible future together. Everyone liked what they heard, and fast forward a couple of weeks, and there's a new coaching crew led by one of the more polarizing names in hockey.
If it all works out, Hyman will look like a genius. If it doesn't, he could quickly become a scapegoat.
Not Just the Babcock Hire That Hyman Should Worry About
This season, Hyman's also got more to prove than being right about the coach.
At 34, he is slowing down. His production is still excellent, but he's struggled to stay healthy, and the way he plays the game means missing games could be a regular thing. He scored 52 points in 58 games last season, but the Oilers need him to play more than 58 games. The year prior, it was 73. One can only hope this is not a trend going in the wrong direction.
And it goes without saying, Hyman is a critical piece of the Oilers' offense. They didn't go out and add another winger this summer. That means they're counting on him to produce.
So between vouching for a coach that "no one wanted" and showing he's still got a lot left in the tank, this will be a big season for Hyman. The team needs to win and he needs to produce under the guy he went to bat for. That starts will staying healthy.
What will Hyman produce this season? We know Babock is going to call on him often. Early prediction is 38 goals and 70 points in 80 games.
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