{"id":568945,"date":"2026-03-29T16:21:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T16:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/568945\/"},"modified":"2026-03-29T16:21:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T16:21:11","slug":"zach-hyman-is-the-oilers-best-free-agent-signing-of-all-time-the-hockey-writers-edmonton-oilers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/568945\/","title":{"rendered":"Zach Hyman Is the Oilers\u2019 Best Free Agent Signing of All Time – The Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Zach Hyman<\/a> signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers<\/a> as a free agent in July 2021, many Toronto Maple Leafs fans called it one of the worst deals in NHL history. Now, he\u2019s proving to be the best free agent the Oilers have ever signed, even better than Craig McTavish, Charlie Huddy and Randy Gregg.<\/a><\/p>\n

In the Oilers\u2019 4-3 overtime victory<\/a> over the Vegas Golden Knights on March 26, Hyman scored his 30th goal of the season. This is the third time the forward has notched 30 goals in Edmonton. That says it all.<\/p>\n

A Shining Light Among Some Recent Free Agent Signings <\/p>\n

With the exception of Hyman, the Oilers\u2019 recent record for signing free agents hasn\u2019t exactly been stellar. When Oilers CEO and president of hockey operations Jeff Jackson signed free agents Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner on July 1, 2024, it paved the way for the double offer sheet of Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to the St. Louis Blues.<\/a><\/p>\n

Even this season, Oilers general manager Stan Bowman\u2019s signing of Andrew Mangiapane in July 2025 did not move the organization forward. Hyman has, without a doubt, been the best example of a free agent signing that made a huge difference for the Oilers.<\/p>\n

Hyman Has Been Key to the Oilers\u2019 Success<\/p>\n

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl<\/a> and Evan Bouchard<\/a> are all superstars in their own right. However, the Oilers are not the same team without Hyman. When he injured his wrist in Game 4 of the 2025 Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars, his absence was noticeable.<\/p>\n

\"ZachZach Hyman, Edmonton Oilers (Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

You have to wonder if he had been available for the Stanley Cup Final matchup against the Florida Panthers, would the Oilers have won a championship? His presence is that important to the team. <\/p>\n

Hyman Should\u2019ve Been on Canada\u2019s Olympic Team<\/p>\n

This season, Hyman has been one of the hottest scorers in the NHL<\/a> since his return from injury in November, with 31 goals in 55 games and a plus\/minus rating of plus 12.<\/a><\/p>\n

Related: Oilers\u2019 Bouchard & Hyman Deserve to Be on Team Canada<\/a><\/p>\n

Hyman was somehow overlooked by Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong, who went in another direction. It\u2019s too bad. With Hyman on Canada\u2019s roster, maybe the outcome would have been different. Hyman\u2019s ability to score on the power play could\u2019ve made a difference as Team Canada struggled when they had the man advantage in the tournament.<\/p>\n

Hyman Off the Ice<\/p>\n

Oilers fans have loved Hyman since he arrived<\/a> ahead of the 2021-22 NHL season. His dedication to rolling up his sleeves, working hard and his toughness around the net have made him a fan favourite. Off the ice, he\u2019s a dedicated family man who has written children\u2019s books and his recent interaction with a young hockey reporter <\/a>went viral for all the right reasons.<\/p>\n

Hyman\u2019s Contract<\/p>\n

The Oilers only have Hyman under contract for two more seasons. He\u2019s 33 now, and will be 35 when his deal expires. Given his play style, we have to wonder when his body will slow down, but with his commitment to fitness and good health, he could be productive for at least three or four more seasons.<\/p>\n

A Healthy Hyman Is Vital to Oilers\u2019 Success<\/p>\n

The Oilers are second in the Pacific Division with 83 points, four points ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights and seven points ahead of the LA Kings, who are on the outside looking in with two games in hand. If Edmonton hangs on and clinches its berth, it won\u2019t go far without Hyman in the lineup.<\/p>\n

With eight games left in the regular season, Hyman and the Oilers will be scratching and clawing for every point, but he\u2019s already proven to be worth every penny of his contract in his time in Edmonton and is one of the best free-agent signings in team history.<\/p>\n

\"SUBSCRIBE<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Zach Hyman signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers as a free agent in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":568946,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[433],"tags":[49,48,448,82,62331],"class_list":{"0":"post-568945","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-nhl","11":"tag-sports","12":"tag-zach-hyman"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=568945"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568945\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/568946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=568945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=568945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=568945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}