The 2024-25 season hasn’t been kind thus far for Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman, but it appears he’s turning things around.
Hyman was entering the season with big expectations after scoring a career-high 54 goals and 16 in the playoffs in 2023-24. Shockingly, he found himself with just three through the first 20 games of the season before missing five straight with an undisclosed injury.
The struggles proved costly for Hyman, as he was cut from Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster, a team he was a lock for in the eyes of many just a few months ago. While failing to make the roster was certainly a disappointment, it may prove to be beneficial for both him and the Oilers.
Whether it be the time away to reset or perhaps motivation from his 4 Nations snub, Hyman looked like his former self on Thursday night versus the Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring two goals in what was a 6-3 win.
“I think it was a good reset. Obviously didn’t have the greatest start,” Hyman said afterward. “Good first game back. When I say it wasn’t the greatest start, I just wasn’t scoring. I thought I was playing pretty good, getting looks and chances and whatnot. Nice for them to go in.”
Though Hyman admitted earlier in the day that he was disappointed to be left off Canada’s roster, he said, as he has previously, that his main focus is with the Oilers and winning hockey games. To no surprise, they do much more of that when he’s filling the back of the net, and though it was just one game, Thursday’s outing felt like a significant step in the right direction for a guy who has scored a combined 117 goals over the last three seasons.
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