Zach Hyman Shares How He Left The Toronto Maple Leafs

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Tom Banks
March 23, 2024 (10:35 PM)

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Zach Hyman has become a star for the Edmonton Oilers, and now the veteran forward has opened up on his departure from his former team the Toronto Maple Leafs.

While Zach Hyman was a solid player in six seasons for the Toronto Maple Leafs, averaging 31 points a season, it wasn't until he left the team in free agency that he blossomed.

Since that point, Zach Hyman has set career highs in goals in each of his three seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, with many now lauding him as one of the best free agent signings in modern NHL history.

With the Oilers now battling the Maple Leafs, Hyman opened up on the exit from Toronto, revealing that it wasn't his goal to leave the team, but ultimately, it was the team that closed the door on a return for him.

Zach Hyman on leaving Leafs in free agency:

"When I was going through the process, I didn't look at any other teams beside Toronto until I knew that that door was closed & didn't have much of a choice with regards to that door."

Now, the 31-year Zach Hyman old sits on the precipice of 50 goals in a season, something no one expected when he tallied 21 as a career high with the Toronto Maple Leafs in six years.

Ultimately, this is a free agency period that the Toronto Maple Leafs would love to have back, but the question will still remain whether or not he could have become this player without the help of superstar Connor McDavid. We will never quite know, as Hyman has tallied seasons of 27, 36 and 48 (and still counting) goals since arriving in Edmonton, and he doesn't seem to be focused on anything but winning in his new home.

Source: Zach Hyman opens up on what it was like to leave the Maple Leafs