Analyzing what Zach Hyman brings to the Edmonton Oilers

What’s been rumoured for days is now official. Zach Hyman has signed a long-term contract with the Edmonton Oilers who add a much-needed top-six forward to their line-up. Hyman and the Oilers have agreed to a seven-year contract with a $5.5 million AAV.

Here’s what Oilers fans need to know about Zach Hyman -- his under-appreciated offensive game, questions about his defensive game, and why simply being in the fight makes him such an effective forechecker.Hyman is more skilled than he gets credit for and last season he displayed a level of confidence with the puck not seen before in his NHL career. Hyman averaged a career-best 0.76 points per game and 0.77 goals per game.

In addition to his new-found confidence with the puck, Hyman is still one of the best in the league at generating shots from the most high-danger scoring area on the ice, the inner slot. Hyman ranked second league-wide to Auston Matthews last season, averaging four inner slot shots per 60 minutes at even strength. On the power play, Hyman ranked fifth among all forwards. Add it all up and Hyman finished third in shots from the inner slot, per 60 minutes.

Quantifying an individual's total defensive impact when he’s on the ice is far from an exact science, but the data available paints a pretty clear picture. When Hyman is on the ice, his team controls the play. They dominate offensively and are above average defensively. There just isn’t any available data to suggest Hyman is a driver of defensive success.

While he may not come out of a battle with the puck as often as other forwards, being as involved as Hyman is in this area of the game provides several benefits to his team. It allows for teammates to engage in the battle and recover the puck. It disrupts breakouts and forces the opposition to spend more time and effort attempting to exit the defensive zone. It also forces opposing teams into mistakes.

MikeKellyNHL

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