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Edmonton journalist “not sure” William Nylander is better than Zach Hyman

EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 29: Zach Hyman #18 of the Edmonton Oilers awaits a face-off during Game Four of the Western Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Dallas Stars at Rogers Place on May 29, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zach Hyman

Zach Hyman had a spectacular 2023-24 season. The Oilers forward, playing alongside Connor McDavid, scored no less than 54 goals in the regular season before adding 16 more in the playoffs.

This led some to refer to it as a “70-goal season”.

Of course, much of Hyman’s success can be attributed to playing with Connor McDavid, but Hyman deserves his share of credit. He’s not afraid to go into the pay zones, and that’s why he’s been so successful.

It may not require being the most talented, but it does require consistent effort and a willingness to sacrifice.

That said, Edmonton journalist Jim Matheson seems to have really respected the Oilers forward’s “70-goal season”. In fact, he doesn’t understand how anyone can rank Hyman behind Clayton Keller… and he’s “not sure” that William Nylander is better than his former Toronto teammate.

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Of course, he’s entitled to his opinion, but despite Hyman’s big season in terms of goals, the fact remains that he’s only amassed 77 points in 80 games. Nylander, for his part, only scored 40 goals… but he came very close to reaching the 100-point plateau.

And I have the impression that Nylander’s success is much less attributable to his teammates than Hyman’s, who was greatly helped by McDavid.

Hyman is a solid hockey player, and he’s more willing to get his hands dirty than a guy like Nylander is willing to do. That said, in terms of sheer talent, the Maple Leafs forward is way ahead of his former teammate, which is why I have a little trouble with Matheson’s statement.

If I had to hire a star player to win a game, I’d take Nylander before Hyman, and I wouldn’t really hesitate between the two. Would you?

Overtime

– Really?

– That’s a good reason.

– Colorado entry contract.