Forward Zach Hyman reflected on his decision to sign with the Edmonton Oilers in 2021 on Friday.
"It's easy when it's not really your decision," Hyman said of leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.
Hyman played for Toronto from 2015-21. He tallied 15 goals and 33 points in 43 games in his final campaign with the Maple Leafs. He signed a seven-year contract in Edmonton with a cap hit of $5.5 million that summer.
"It wasn't about money," Hyman said, according to NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "I'd have loved to be a Maple Leaf for life. I was from there, our families were from there. But when that door closed and Edmonton had shown interest all along, it was the place I wanted to come."
Hyman added: "Coming (to Edmonton) was the best decision of my life."
Oilers general manager Ken Holland, a Hockey Hall of Famer and the GM of three Stanley Cup-winning teams with the Detroit Red Wings, praised Hyman as one of the best free-agent moves of his career.
"When we signed him as a free agent ... we hoped we were getting, at best, a guy who would score 20-30 goals per year," Holland said.
"He has way, way, way exceeded our wildest expectations."
Hyman eclipsed the 50-goal mark for the first time this season. He paces the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 14 goals in 18 contests.
The 31-year-old's production has far exceeded what he accomplished in his final three seasons in Toronto:
| Team | Seasons | GP | G | PTS | Goals per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Leafs | 2018-21 | 165 | 57 | 111 | .345 |
| Oilers | 2021-24 | 235 | 117 | 214 | .498 |
The difference is even more stark in the postseason:
| Team | Seasons | GP | G | PTS | Goals per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Leafs | 2018-21 | 19 | 3 | 5 | .158 |
| Oilers | 2021-24 | 46 | 28 | 45 | .609 |
"Every year, I've tried to just develop and tried to grow my game," Hyman told ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "I remember when I signed, everybody was kinda like, 'You only get better when you're in your 20s. You can't get better as you get older.' And I've always thought that you can get better every year, no matter how you are. You can always improve, and that's always been my mindset."
Hyman makes his Stanley Cup Final debut Saturday at 8 p.m. ET against the Florida Panthers.
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