Zach Hyman is having the best season of his career and has been a massive part of the Oilers’ success up to this point. Playing alongside Connor McDavid helps, but it’s his finishing ability and “never give up” mentality that has fans wondering if he can hit the triple-digit mark in points for the first time. Hyman, 30, has never had a point-per-game season until this year. His 20 goals and 24 assists are good enough for 4th in team scoring, behind only McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins.
The Oilers have been struggling as of late, with losses piling up and their playoff hopes dwindling away. While the team’s clear MVP has been Connor McDavid, who is on pace to shatter records some thought to have been impossible to beat, Zach Hyman has had much more of an impact than most fans realize, and it shows every night he plays. The way he is able to score goals is a thing of beauty, as a good percentage of them have been winning a puck battle or winning a race and getting a golden opportunity after throwing a huge hit along the wall. He is a workhorse who even as he moves into “veteran” status, continues to find ways to bring out the best in himself and his teammates.
I think Hyman hitting 100 points is a lock this season. The players he plays alongside can finish just as well as he can, and can be playmakers when they need to be. Playing as the net front guy on the most lethal powerplay in the NHL doesn’t hurt either. While he is a big body providing a screen in front of the net, Hyman’s finishing ability, as I mentioned before, is close to unmatched. The team no longer has to rely on two players to put pucks in the net, and with Evander Kane set to return soon, that’s just another weapon to help Hyman surpass that 100-point mark.