Oilers Forward Expected to Regress

Zach Hyman will likely never put up another 50-goal season with the Edmonton Oilers.

May 23, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Edmonton Oilers left wing Zach Hyman (18) skates against the Dallas Stars during the third period in game one of the Western Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Zach Hyman exploded in his third season with the Edmonton Oilers by scoring a career-high 54 goals. Before the 2023-24 season, Hyman’s previous career high was 36, which he had put up the year before.

In each of his three years with the Oilers, Hyman has improved and put up career highs in goals and points in each season. Does he continue improving in 2024-25, or is he primed for a regression?

According to TSN analyst Frank Corrado, a regression is more likely, noting that Hyman is more of a 30-goal scorer than a 50-goal scorer.

“50 goals is very difficult to do in the NHL year after year,” Corrado said. “We see it where guys score 50 or 52. Then, the next year, they kind of come back to their regular goal-scoring pace. Maybe that’s the case for Zach Hyman.”

Hitting 50 goals in a season even once is tough; trying to duplicate it in a second straight year is even harder. Even if you are playing with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Corrado knows the kind of help players like McDavid and Draisaitl can provide in a scoring race, but it’s not easy to predict what may happen during an NHL season.

“Think about all the different factors that can happen in a season,” Corrado said. “Let’s say Connor McDavid gets hurt, and all of a sudden, he’s not playing with him.”

While Hyman has made a name for himself as a net-front presence with what it takes to score at a high clip, his 50-goal year may have been a one-off.

“He probably is more closer to a 30-goal player,” Corrado said. “But, I wouldn’t be surprised if, for the next few seasons, Zach Hyman is a 40+ goal player.”

40 goals is still a high bar for Hyman, but completely reachable if things go well. The Oilers have high expectations as a team and have improved since losing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Hyman will be a huge part of an Oilers squad looking to capture that one last win.

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