What We Learned: The Oilers shouldn’t put Zach Hyman on Connor McDavid’s line

The assumption all summer has been that the Edmonton Oilers would slot Zach Hyman on to the top line with Connor McDavid. Based on that big contract they gave him this summer and who he played with on the Toronto Maple Leafs it seemed like a natural assumption. 

It makes some amount of sense; Hyman’s steady 200-foot play and ability to be in the right place at the right time made him highly valuable playing next to Mitchell Marner and Auston Matthews. The team also just gave Hyman $5.5-million against the cap, making him the third-highest paid forward on the team behind only McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. And since Draisaitl already has a solid line of his own with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (also making north of $5-million AAV after surprisingly re-upping in Edmonton this summer) and Kailer Yamamoto (their newly re-signed restricted free agent), there’s no room for Hyman there.

While Hyman isn’t exactly going to say exactly who he’s slated to play with, this interview from a few days ago shows him pretty much tipping his hand without coming right out and saying it. He’s going to be McDavid’s linemate. This is the broad assumption among fans and local media as well.{