By Alex Hobson
On June 19th, 2015, the Leafs made a very interesting trade. The trade involved sending AHLer Greg McKegg to the Florida Panthers in exchange for the rights to Zach Hyman and a conditional 7th round pick. After looking at this trade, the word you'll want to use to define Hyman is interesting. Losing McKegg obviously wasn't a problem, and the Leafs got a conditional pick in return, but Hyman was the main centrepiece to this trade. So without further ado, let's take a deep look into Hyman's history and what we can expect from him in 2015-16.
Hyman was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in the fifth round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, and was held off of signing an entry level contract due to his hockey career at Michigan State University. Hyman recently recorded a 54 point season in 37 games, and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist. This past offseason, after he finished his final season with MSU, Hyman announced that he would not sign with the Panthers. A few days later, the Leafs acquired Hyman via trade. The main reason Hyman decided not to sign with the Panthers was because he wanted to play in the NHL the following year, and the Panthers couldn't provide that oppertunity for him. The interesting part about his case and how it involves the Leafs is that Hyman is still young at age 23, and the Leafs signed lots of free agents to fill in roster spots so that players like Hyman would have more time to develop. This being said, injuries will happen this coming year and when they do, Hyman along with Casey Bailey will likely be the first ones to be recalled. Or, if Hyman impresses in training camp, he might earn himself a spot on the roster. It's extremely hard to tell at this point, but these are the most likely scenarios. Another thing that sets Hyman apart from other hockey players? He's a children's book author. Yes, you read that right. He published his book "The Bambino and Me" in April 2014 as an effort to inspire kids to be themselves and do what they want to do.
STATUS: SAFE
Hyman is yet another player that is not untouchable, yet there's really no reason for him to be traded. He just arrived in Toronto, and unless there was a scenario where the Leafs couldn't say no to an offer, and Hyman was a piece in it, there's not much of a chance that Hyman will be on the block at all.
2015-16 ROLE: BOTTOM SIX FORWARD/CALL-UP
Much like fellow university grad Casey Bailey, Hyman will likely see a fair amount of NHL time this year. It might not be much, maybe only 10-20 games, but he'll see enough for him to understand the speed of the NHL game and when he's not with the Leafs, he'll be having top six minutes with the Marlies.
What do you think of the acquisition of Hyman, Leafs fans? Should Hyman have a regular spot on the team this year? Weigh in below.
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