Without McDavid, Oilers need Zach Hyman to break out of his slump

Last updated Oct 29, 2024

With the World Collection being contested between the LA Dodgers and New York Yankees, it’s an acceptable time to replicate on one of Yankee nice Yogi Berra’s well-known quotes: “It’s Déjà vu all over again.”

The Edmonton Oilers are off to one other poor begin this season. It’s not as dire because it was final yr right now after they have been 2-7-1, however the Oilers’ first 10-game section has been uneven to say the least. Their 4-5-1 document is just marginally higher than it was 12 months in the past.

There’s rather a lot to unpack when it comes to the present state of the Edmonton Oilers and with Connor McDavid now out with harm the whole group has to elevate their recreation. As an alternative of breaking down each particular person on the roster I’ve taken on the curious outcomes of Zach Hyman, who hasn’t scored a aim and has only one help via 10 video games, after he scored 54 occasions in 2023-24.

IDENTITY

Hyman isn’t a burner in open ice. The Oilers have gamers who transport the puck with pace and drive opponents off their blue line (reminiscent of McDavid) however Hyman’s major function is to prolong performs alongside the boards and go to the crease to set screens, tip pucks, and rating off rebounds. He averages over 19 minutes of ice time per recreation at even energy and the ability play.

One of his extra shocking statistics displays the precise quantity of hits Hyman doles out. He performs a heavy recreation, however isn’t a punishing participant. In reality, McDavid had extra hits (118) than Hyman (87) final yr.

One other fascinating statistic is that Hyman contributes most of his scoring at even energy, which is clearly tougher to accomplish in contrast to taking part in with the person benefit.

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Over the previous two seasons mixed, Hyman has produced 90 targets and 70 assists complete, with 60 targets coming at even energy and 30 on the ability play.

“It’s kind of just been a staple of my game. I’ve always been trying to figure out how to score goals, and that’s the way I score goals,” Hyman stated in 2023. “Early on, coaches always say if you want to score goals, you have to go to the net. In college, I didn’t score very much in my first couple of years, even though I was still going to the net. When I first got to the NHL, I didn’t score that much either, but I was still going to the net.”

STRATEGY

Hyman is a great participant. He understands his strengths and weaknesses and the way to affect the sport positively for his staff.

“There is a difference between going to the net and going to the net with a purpose and going to score,” he stated. “You have to be able to separate yourself from your defender, get your stick free, and you have to try and figure out where the puck’s going to be. There’s a lot of different things that go into it. If you go to the net enough, you’re going to figure it out.”

Hyman’s method to the sport is predictable. The bulk of his photographs on aim come from the center of the ice, between the hash marks and from the slot-down in the direction of the online.

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Right here’s a have a look at Hyman’s shot metrics from final season in contrast to the beginning of this yr:

Hyman continues to discover pucks across the crease this season and has already had a lot of possibilities to rating. He’s within the prime 10 per cent of gamers directing pucks on web and the bulk come from excessive hazard areas. They simply haven’t gone in for him but. In any respect.

OBSERVATIONS

When a participant is coming off a 54-goal common season and 16-goal playoff run, as Hyman is, it’s alarming to see them battle to produce offence so early. Has he subtly modified something? Or is he merely having a stretch of powerful puck luck?

Right here’s a clip from the Oilers’ recreation versus Detroit on Sunday evening. Hyman units up store in acquainted territory. The puck finally ends up on Evan Bouchard‘s stick and he rips a ‘Bouch Bomb’ on web. Sadly for Edmonton the puck hits Hyman on the bottom, main to a transparent for the Purple Wings on their penalty-kill:

Reflecting on the success Hyman, and the Oilers, had throughout their journey to the Stanley Cup Last this subsequent clip is a really comparable play that led to a distinct outcome for Edmonton. Hyman units up within the crease, the puck finally ends up on Bouchard’s stick, he directs it on web, and it deflects off Hyman into the Panthers’ web. “Puck luck” was on Hyman’s aspect on this sequence.

I dove into the bulk of Hyman’s shifts to begin this season. There have been some sequences I’d have preferred him to exit the defensive zone earlier, push the tempo extra aggressively happening offence after which capitalize on his scoring possibilities. However I can actually say he has been one of the extra dependable Oilers in phrases of taking part in to his identification to begin this season, regardless of his struggles offensively.

Right here’s an instance of what I’ve observed as a rule. Within the following clip Hyman anticipates his group goes to work the puck to the entrance of the online. Sadly for Edmonton, McDavid turns it over contained in the Dallas zone. Because the play strikes into the impartial zone Bouchard had an opportunity to kill the Stars’ momentum however failed to execute. Mattias Ekholm fails to entrance his verify and Stuart Skinner is scrambling out of place.

The Oilers have been pushing to tie this recreation and with lower than eight minutes to play they rolled their first energy play unit over the boards at even energy, trusting Mattias Ekholm, Bouchard, McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Hyman to produce on this scenario. But it surely hasn’t gone their method within the first 10-game section.

RESULTS

As a lot as I respect Hyman’s constant method, the Oilers do need him to get off the mat and begin cashing in on his possibilities like this:

Or this one from Monday’s loss, when the Blue Jackets nonetheless solely had a 1-0 lead.

It’s a results-oriented enterprise and laborious working disturbers are discovered within the backside six of most NHL rosters. Hyman is a prime six ahead who has a major function on the ability play and he wants to capitalize on possibilities like these. The excellent news is his course of stays constant and he continues to get alternatives.

We’ve seen the place Hyman appears to be like good by the attention take a look at, however when you consider extra in an analytical measure — or want to take into account it as nicely — Hyman leads all Oilers in excessive hazard possibilities and anticipated targets in all conditions. Per Pure Stat Trick, Hyman could possibly be anticipated to have almost six targets by now, and but he nonetheless hasn’t obtained on the board.

It’s tough for me to predict or anticipate Hyman to rating 54 targets once more this season — particularly when he’s been snake-bitten via his first 10 video games — however the truth he scored 50 over his final 68 video games final yr no less than provides me hope it’s solely a matter of time earlier than the puck begins discovering the online in bunches for Hyman.

And now with McDavid out of the Oilers’ lineup, Edmonton will need Hyman to regain his scoring contact greater than ever.

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