Hyman is unsung asset for Leafs
Zach Hyman likes to remember an analogy once drawn to him by Lou Lamoriello when he ponders his role with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“He likes to compare a team to a band and you have drummers in the band, and he called me the drummer,’’ Hyman said in reference to Lamoriello, the former Leafs executive.
“Everybody has a role and I’m happy to do my part and I know what my role is, and go out there and do it every night to the best of my ability to help the team win.”
True, any lead singer will garner most of the attention. With the Leafs, the majority of headlines are reserved by players such as Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly.
Hyman’s diligence, especially in the offensive zone, puts him in coach Mike Babcock’s good side every day.
And it’s not just that aspect of Hyman’s game. Babcock also trusts him defensively. Hyman leads Leafs forwards in ice time while the club is short-handed with an average of two minutes 15 seconds a game.
He was true to form in Saturday’s 5-3 win over Minnesota, and he also sealed the deal with an empty-net goal, out muscling Wild defender Ryan Suter at the Leafs’s blueline to gain control of the puck and eventually score.
His three empty-net goals so far this season had him tied with Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche heading into Sunday’s slate of games. games on Sunday.
The respect for Hyman goes across the Leafs room.
“He is extremely valuable and it’s really hard to put into words because when you look at the big picture, he’s even more valuable,” Rielly said.
“There’s his work ethic and character and it’s the kind of teammate he is. What he’s able to do for his line is incredible.”