Zach Hyman takes another shot at Maple Leafs before entering Stanley Cup Final
Still a chip on the Oilers’ star forward’s shoulder:
Forward Zach Hyman has been a totally different player since he left the Toronto Maple Leafs and joined the Edmonton Oilers. Hyman has shined bright as a key component of the Oilers playoff run, and during Media Day ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup FInal, he was asked about leaving Toronto to sign in Edmonton as a free agent in July 2021 and how it felt to leave the team where he had spent his first six NHL seasons.
Hyman did not hesitate to take a shot at the Maple Leafs’ organization when he answered, per insider Chris Johnston:
“It’s easy when it’s not really your decision.”
When the Oilers moved on to the Finals on Sunday night, Hyman appeared to take a stab at Toronto when he was asked about the Oilers being ‘Canada’s team’ as the only Canadian team remaining in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Hyman chuckled at the question before expressing his doubts about any support from the Maple Leafs faithful.
“That’s nice,” said Hyman on Sunday night with a laugh. “Well I don’t know if Toronto’s cheering for us, but it’s nice to hear Ottawa is.”
When Hyman was set to hit free agency three summers ago, the Leafs found themselves with a tight salary cap with no room for the talented forward.
“When that door closed and Edmonton had shown interest all along, it was the place I wanted to come,” Hyman previously explained in another interview.
In Edmonton, he signed a seven-year contract with a cap hit of $5.5 million a season. This past campaign, he scored 54 goals in 80 games, setting career-highs in goals in each of his first three seasons in Edmonton. And he remains unstoppable during the postseason.
And that goes for his shots at the Maple Leafs letting him go!
