In only one week, rosters will likely be finalized for the 4 Nations Face-Off. The inaugural match, scheduled for Feb. 12-20 at TD Backyard in Boston and Bell Centre in Montreal, options groups of NHL gamers representing Canada, Finland, Sweden and the US.
Hockey Canada is scheduled to unveil its roster at 4:30 p.m. MT on Dec. 4, and some gamers on the Edmonton Oilers will likely be watching with nice curiosity.
Centre Connor McDavid is already on Workforce Canada, having been included among the many first six gamers introduced by Hockey Canada in June. Defenceman Evan Bouchard has an excellent probability at becoming a member of Edmonton’s captain within the Canadian lineup. Goaltender Stuart Skinner has an out of doors shot at being added to Canada’s roster. After which there’s winger Zach Hyman.
As not too long ago as a month in the past, Hyman was seen as a lock for Workforce Canada. When TSN specialists Craig Button and Mike Johnson revealed their picks for the 12 Canadian forwards, they not solely included Hyman within the lineup, however they slotted the Oilers winger onto Canada’s prime line with McDavid and Mitch Marner.
Effectively, that was on the finish October, and loads has modified since then. Hyman’s gradual begin threatening to turn into a stoop has now morphed right into a full-on funk on the quarter-point of the season. And to make issues worse, now he’s coping with an undisclosed harm.
In the meantime, a number of forwards with Canadian passports are making large impressions this fall, sufficient to place somebody like Hyman’s spot in jeopardy. All of the sudden, he won’t be such a slam-dunk decide for Canada’s braintrust of basic supervisor Don Sweeney, affiliate basic supervisor Jim Nill and head coach Jon Cooper.
Hyman’s Numbers Plummet
Hyman presently has simply three objectives via 20 video games, a CN Tower-level drop-off for the Toronto native, who completed third within the NHL final season with 54 objectives.
Coming into 2024-25, Hyman had averaged only a hair below 0.50 objectives per recreation over three seasons with the Oilers. This season he’s averaging solely 0.15 objectives per recreation, placing him on tempo to attain the fewest instances since 2016-17, when he had 10 objectives in 82 video games with the Leafs.
Using Shotgun with McDavid
Hyman continues to be an efficient two-way participant. Earlier than turning into a prolific purpose scorer the final couple seasons in Edmonton, he was recognized for impacting the sport as a lot via checking as attacking.
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However his job on the 4 Nations Face-Off can be to attain. Button cited a capability to play with McDavid as a purpose for placing Hyman on Canada’s No. 1 line, and it’s honest to wonder if Hyman even makes Workforce Canada with out McDavid being there. If Sweeney and co. wish to add somebody to play extra of a checking position, they’re seemingly not taking a look at Hyman.
Damage Might Show Pricey
Hyman gave the impression to be getting on monitor when he scored his first three objectives of the season over a stretch of 4 video games from Oct. 31 to Nov. 6. However he rapidly cooled off once more, going his final six video games since with out scoring.
Misfortune has conspired with an unusually lengthy hole within the schedule to rob Hyman of any alternative to make a last-minute push for Workforce Canada. He missed the final two video games after colliding with Ottawa Senators defenceman Nick Jensen on Nov. 19, and whereas he’s anticipated again for Edmonton’s subsequent contest (Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch mentioned on Nov. 21 that Hyman can be out “4 to seven days”), that received’t be till Friday (Nov. 30), in opposition to the Utah Hockey Membership.
Bouchard Making His Case
In the meantime, Bouchard, who has had an up (and doubtless extra) down begin to this season, is doing what he can to shore up his resume: the 25-year-old blueliner has two objectives, three assists, a score of plus-6 and one play-of-the-year candidate in his final three video games.
Do Canada’s decision-makers assume that Hyman’s current play is only a blip, or do they assume that Father Time is rapidly catching up with the 32-year-old? Do they appear favourably on somebody who has simple chemistry with Canada’s celebrity centre, or are they involved by Hyman’s current harm? Followers received’t have to attend for much longer to seek out out the 23 gamers who comprise Workforce Canada for the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off.
