Zach Hyman was not a youngster when the Toronto Maple Leafs let him walk away in free agency. He was 29, and the Maple Leafs told themselves at that time that he was not worth the money he was about to command on the free agent market.
Prior to leaving, Hyman posted 15 goals and 33 points in a season where injuries were an issue. The two seasons prior to that, he had 21 goals in each. It was clear he had the potential to be a 25-30 goal guy, and the Leafs found out the hard way that he was capable of much more.
Leafs management and many fans talked themselves into the idea that letting a bit of an older player, in Hyman, go over a few extra dollars was the right thing to do. He wasn’t worth it, they convinced themselves. So he signed a seven-year, $5.5 million per deal with the Edmonton Oilers. Interestingly, the Maple Leafs are facing a similar decision with 29-year-old Bobby McMann, and it’s the Oilers, who once again, sound like the frontrunners to land the pending UFA.
McMann Could Walk Straight Over the Oilers
McMann has 19 goals in 56 games this season, on track for a career best in points by a large margin. He’s an Alberta kid who grew up watching the Oilers, and there’s talk that Edmonton sees him as an ideal fit.
They might not be willing to spend the first-round pick that Toronto is seeking at the trade deadline, but the Oilers could make a run at McMann in free agency, assuming the trade is made to another team this season.
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When Hyman realized he was leaving Toronto, he wanted the Oilers. Edmonton just had to decide if the forward was worth it. He was. Hyman scored 27 goals, then 36, then 54 in his first three seasons with the team. He’s arguably the best free agency signing in Oilers history, and the Leafs have looked like fools the minute he walked out the door.
One could argue he was a glue piece who, once gone, had heavily contributed to the Leafs’ recent awful seasons. This is a team that appears to be falling apart at the seams, and Hyman’s departure can’t be a coincidence.
If Not Signed Now, McMann Should Be Traded for the Best Return
The Maple Leafs have put a little winning streak together heading into the Olympic break, but this team is a deadline seller. According to Elliotte Friedman on The Fan Hockey Show, the Leafs recently informed teams they were weighing different options.
“I think they’ll continue to look around,” Friedman said. “They went out there last week, and they told teams we’re considering some things that we didn’t think we’d have to consider.” Among the things they are weighing is what they accept in trade for McMann.
Ahead of the Olympic roster freeze, the Toronto Maple Leafs likely could have made a trade. Instead, they waited, hoping for a better return for McMann than what teams were offering. Friedman and others have reported that the ask is a first-rounder. If they don’t get it, sign or sell on McMann. There are no other options.
The real question is, can the Maple Leafs afford to let another player slip through the cracks? The answer is no. If they don’t sign McMann before the deadline, they need to trade him. If he doesn’t want to sign and the Leafs mistakenly hold onto him, thinking there’s a chance they sneak into the playoffs, they risk him simply walking away. And, if he does, like Hyman, he might walk straight over to the Oilers, who will certainly have a use for him and can place him beside either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.
We saw how well that worked for Hyman.
