The Edmonton Oilers made a big splash in free agency Wednesday, signing free agent winger Zach Hyman to a seven-year, $38.5 million contract.
Hyman, 29, joins the Oilers after spending the first six seasons of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
O F F I C I A L
The #Oilers have signed forward Zach Hyman to a seven-year contract! #LetsGoOilers— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) July 28, 2021
The Toronto native became a fan favourite while playing for his hometown team, the perfect addition of grit and hard-nosed play to complement the Maple Leafs' skill-heavy lineup -- with the team-friendly $2.25-million cap hit to boot. So strong has his performance been with the Maple Leafs, however, that he priced himself out of the cap-strapped club's budget, making it all but certain in the weeks and months leading up to free agency that he would need to sign elsewhere in order to earn his worth.
Now, he's about to get top-six billing in Edmonton, too, likely skating alongside Connor McDavid. Earlier Wednesday, the Oilers also brought in another solid two-way winger in Warren Foegele, shoring up the club's depth down the left side.
