10 Highest-paid wingers in the NHL and how Zach Hyman compares
By Paul Taylor
It's funny how time can change perception and reality. Case in point is Zach Hyman's contract, which he signed with the Edmonton Oilers back in July 2021.
At the time, the deal for seven years and $38.5 million seemed like an overpay for Hyman, albeit this often happens in the world of professional sports when teams get into bidding wars for free agents. Regardless, there were many who believed the Oilers were paying too much for the winger.
Now fast forward to today, and the perception and reality couldn't be more different when it comes to the 32-year-old. Every season so far in Edmonton, has seen him set a new personal best for goals scored.
A career year
This include the 2023-24 campaign, which was a truly special one for Hyman. He finished the regular season with 54 goals, which ended up being the third-most in the entire NHL.
Then in the playoffs, the 2010 fifth round draft pick played a significant role in leading the Oilers' charge all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. His 16 goals led the NHL -- five ahead of his nearest challenger -- while also being the most ever in the salary cap era, which started in 2005-06 following a lockout.
Further, consider that Hyman's 16 goals are tied with Pavel Bure for the third-most in a single playoff season, in NHL history. The only players to score more all-time, are Reggie Leach with 19 and Joe Sakic with 18.
This all brings us to how Hyman's salary compares to other players around the league at his position. Here is a list of the 10 highest-paid wingers in the NHL, by Average Annual Value:
Rank | Player | Team | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Artemi Panarin | Rangers | $11.643 million |
2 | David Pastrnak | Bruins | $11.25 million |
3 | Mitch Marner | Leafs | $10.903 million |
4 | Jonathan Huberdeau | Flames | $10.5 million |
5 | Sebastian Aho | Hurricanes | $9.75 million |
Tied-6 | Jamie Benn | Stars | $9.5 million |
Tied-6 | Matthew Tkachuk | Panthers | $9.5 million |
Tied-6 | Alex Ovechkin | Capitals | $9.5 million |
Tied-6 | Nikita Kucherov | Lightning | $9.5 million |
Tied-6 | Mark Stone | Golden Knights | $9.5 million |
44 | Zach Hyman | Oilers | $5.5 million |
Reinforcing the value of Hyman's deal for the Oilers
In fairness, the majority of the top 10 wingers are worthy of their money. However, it still serves to further the evidence that the Oilers have an absolute bargain when it comes to Hyman and his contract.
Now we do appreciate the Toronto native isn't getting any younger, with him more than likely to see a decrease in his goals and maybe even overall points this coming season. Not that he won't still have a productive season.
In this respect, consider that ESPN's fantasy hockey rankings for the 2024-25 campaign, have Hyman scoring 48 goals and totalling 74 points. We're more than certain that the team and their fans will be happy if he does have this type of season.
Next. 10 Highest-paid defencemen and where Darnell Nurse fits in. 10 Highest-paid defencemen and where Darnell Nurse fits in. dark
Overall, the 2023-24 season will more than likely turn out to be the peak of Hyman's NHL career. (Not that we would have any issue in being wrong with this prediction.) At the same time however, his contract remains one of the best pieces of business the Oilers have ever done.
N.B. All facts and figures are courtesy of Spotrac
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