SIGNED: Oilers Sign Forward Zach Hyman To 7 Year Deal

The Oilers have signed Zach Hyman to a seven year deal totaling 38.5 million. That’s a 5.5MM AAV until the end of the 2028 season.

The Oilers are getting a good player in Zach Hyman. Like every other free agent deal, it’s a few years too long. The Oilers are strapping themselves in with 5 years of NMC. The bonuses at the tail end of the contract push this deal close to not being able to be bought out.

ZACH HYMAN

Hyman will be expected to fill a top six wing slot. Hyman brings a physical element to his game that everyone loves, and he’s got a talented set of hands to go with it. In last year’s abbreviated season, Hyman scored 33 points (15-18-33) in 43 games. 23 of those 33 points were scored at evens, while most common linemates were Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews.

The Oilers didn’t have a player on their active roster like Hyman previously, and there’s lots to like about Hyman’s game. A right hand shot at 6’1” and 215, Hyman can go to the greasy areas in front of the crease where pucks bounce and rebounds present themselves like moths to a flame. That’s a great type of player to have when pucks are getting tossed on net.

There are a few question marks with Zach Hyman, specifically his contract length and his current age. Hyman will be 36 or 37 years of age when this deal completes, and just like the Lucic deal that was signed five years ago, it seems all but a foregone conclusion that the legs tend to give out a bit earlier off this type of player sooner than a player with the style of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Hyman only has 346 NHL games to his resume so far, which is about four seasons less than Milan Lucic had accrued when Lucic signed his monster 7 year, 42 million dollar contract in 2016.

Hyman’s career high point total is 41. I don’t know if he eclipses that number, but he should get a good shot at doing so if he remains in the top six for the majority of his contract.

Another caution ought to be out for Hyman’s injury history, which is to be expected from a player with his style of play. Hyman spent 11 games on IR last season with a sprained MCL in his right knee. He needed ACL surgery on the same knee at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, so it’s worth noting that a right knee injury is on the radar.

The Oilers will love what Hyman brings to the lineup. Like all big contracts, the Oilers hope that they can make their mark earlier on this one rather than having to depend on this deal when the player approaches his mid 30s, or later.