Is Zach Hyman the biggest anchor in the NHL?

[nobody]

Hyman is not a first line player but he's a model of perseverance. If you try hard enough in life and you truly have no skills, Mike Babcock will make you a first line winger on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

For reals though, I love Zach Hyman. He's a real gud pro, he eats right, he sleeps right, he works right. He loves his family and he hounds the puck like a dog. He's got elite elite elite puck retrieval (numbers may not back this up).

If you lined up 10 dogs and Zach Hyman and threw a ball into an open field, Zach Hyman wouldn't just retrieve the ball first, he's would knock every one of those puppies down to show them who's boss. He's a real gud forchecker too. Real gud on the body.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I'd take him on the Pens any day.

 

[nobody]

I'd take him on the Pens any day.

In your dreams. You already stole our cookie monster. Lay the f*** off.

PS
While he was on the Leafs, PK was treated to a wide assortment of cookies, candies and other sweets during Halloween. Not being pranked to death by our 4th line plugs. #norespek

 

[Breakers]

Im still wondering who gave Hyman a first place Selke vote last year.

Like who would seriously do that?

 

[nobody]

Im still wondering who gave Hyman a first place Selke vote last year.

Like who would seriously do that?

Someone sounds jealous for not having Hyman on their teams top line.

 

[MR4]

Way I see it is he isn't an anchor, but he adds no offense. So Matthews & Nylander probably are the primary cause of around the same amount of points they have now, but Hyman's points are all passenger points. So if you had someone that could create offense, you'd have another guy around Matthews/Nylander points from being able to be the primary cause of the goal, adding passenger points to the other 2 as well

 

[nobody]

Way I see it is he isn't an anchor, but he adds no offense. So Matthews & Nylander probably are the primary cause of around the same amount of points they have now, but Hyman's points are all passenger points. So if you had someone that could create offense, you'd have another guy around Matthews/Nylander points from being able to be the primary cause of the goal, adding passenger points to the other 2 as well

I don't think that's completely fair. Hyman does finish 1/100 plays. And he hustles. He doesn't add to the score sheet directly but he is responsible for not screwing up defensively and he's always first on the forecheck.

 

[TheTechNoir]

So, for the people who think Hyman badly holds Nylander and Matthews back.
What, do you think Matthews would have scored 50 last year with a different winger? 80 pts?Nylander 75 pts?

 

[TheGroceryStick]

The last thing his is , is an anchor.
Doesn't mean he is a 1st liner though.

He works his bag off every shift and if anything is helping keep the puck alive for his skilled linemates. The kid doesn't look strong, but he is a bull...watch his puck retrieval and board work (even against bigger defenders) , his tireless effort wears on guys.

Im hoping we eventually see a trickle effect. Hyman follows Nylander to the 2nd line (still have effects of being a 1st liner) and we load up the top line with Matthews.
Babs has a way of making bottom 6ers play above their head - confidence from playing crucial mins ; hoping it translates down the road.

____-Matthews-Marner
Hyman-Nylander-_____
(Brown, Kapanen,Korshkov,Grundstrom)

 

[Nithoniniel]

I think he’s an interesting case. I love Matthews but he’s a bit of a floater in the offensive zone, I think Hyman provides more value than it appears.

I don’t know any fancy stats sites but I’d love to see their possession stats, my guess would be that Hyman is engaged with the puck more than Matthews is on a typical ES shift. Maybe I’m dead wrong though, I don’t really know where to find those kind of stats.

The bolded is among the oddest takes I've seen on here.

As for involvement stats, last I saw those Hyman was a distant third with Nylander having the most puck on that line (and more than most in the league), but Matthews has taken a lot of steps since then.

 

[Goose]

The bolded is among the oddest takes I've seen on here.

As for involvement stats, last I saw those Hyman was a distant third with Nylander having the most puck on that line (and more than most in the league), but Matthews has taken a lot of steps since then.

I know, it seems like a bizarre thing to say. I don’t mean floating in the traditional negative sense of the word, I mean the puck just isn’t on his stick much in the offensive zone. He carries it in exceptionally well and he works hard to keep it in and he’s hyper involved, but his actual time on stick possession time I think is lower than most would guess given the impact he has. He passes off extremely quickly etc.

In hindsight maybe floating is the wrong term to describe it, I’m just trying to convey the idea he covers a lot of ground in the offensive zone while being hyper efficient with his touches. He doesn’t just grab the puck, skate for a while, get pinned and dump it down low type thing

 

[authentic]

So, for the people who think Hyman badly holds Nylander and Matthews back.
What, do you think Matthews would have scored 50 last year with a different winger? 80 pts?Nylander 75 pts?

Actually, yes. Matthews missed over 20 wide open nets last season himself and that had nothing to do with Hyman at all.

 

[TheTechNoir]

Actually, yes. Matthews missed over 20 wide open nets last season himself and that had nothing to do with Hyman at all.

And all other production they had all season would have still happened too? None would have been lost by having a dif line mate? And don't reference Hyman's assists or goals assisted by Matthews/Nylander, because that is oversimplification and not how hockey works.

I'm curious if you think there would only be gains and not losses.
Is Matthews a 60+ goal scorer/100+ pt player this year with some one else? Because 50/80-85 seems very realistically possible this season for him.


Personally, I don't think so at all. I think that any NHL line (on a team with a lot of goals too) that has 44% of their teams' even strength goals for, and on the ice for 10% goals against, isn't being anchored down. Without Hyman and a superior winger worthy of replacing him... What, would they have been on the ice for 60% of the leafs even strength goals and 7% against?

PS: Do you know how many open nets Jeff Carter missed in his career? If we are going by how close players have been to more goals, or how they could have scored more, then we also need to change our milestone benchmarks of how many goals is how impressive. Because there are a lot of guys who have had a lot of missed chances despite still having fantastic years.

 

[BK]

BBBBBBBBrent Seabrook. AINEC.

The titanic does not hit that berg if they had Seabs on the boat to stop them.

 

[Martin Skoula]

And all other production they had all season would have still happened too? None would have been lost by having a dif line mate? And don't reference Hyman's assists or goals assisted by Matthews/Nylander, because that is oversimplification and not how hockey works.

I'm curious if you think there would only be gains and not losses.
Is Matthews a 60+ goal scorer/100+ pt player this year with some one else? Because 50/80-85 seems very realistically possible this season for him.


Personally, I don't think so at all. I think that any NHL line (on a team with a lot of goals too) that has 44% of their teams' even strength goals for, and on the ice for 10% goals against, isn't being anchored down. Without Hyman and a superior winger worthy of replacing him... What, would they have been on the ice for 60% of the leafs even strength goals and 7% against?

PS: Do you know how many open nets Jeff Carter missed in his career? If we are going by how close players have been to more goals, or how they could have scored more, then we also need to change our milestone benchmarks of how many goals is how impressive. Because there are a lot of guys who have had a lot of missed chances despite still having fantastic years.

If the replacement player is a clone of Hyman but with NHL level hands/shot, Nylander and Matthews likely get a 5-10 point bump at minimum.

 

[Sureves]

He's on a line with Nylander (12 pts in 13 games) & Matthews (11 pts in 13 games), both of whom lead the team. Hyman on the other hand has 1 assist in 13 games and is last on the team among regulars, playing with the teams two leading scorers. He's single handedly handicapping that line, has there ever been NHL players that have handicapped a top 6 line to that degree?

Teams can (and do) just team up on Matthews and Nylander because Hyman is not a threat at all, making it harder to create space for those 2.

This seems like a really unfair post.

Nylander has 7 ESP, Hyman has 6 ESP.

 

[Nithoniniel]

I know, it seems like a bizarre thing to say. I don’t mean floating in the traditional negative sense of the word, I mean the puck just isn’t on his stick much in the offensive zone. He carries it in exceptionally well and he works hard to keep it in and he’s hyper involved, but his actual time on stick possession time I think is lower than most would guess given the impact he has. He passes off extremely quickly etc.

In hindsight maybe floating is the wrong term to describe it, I’m just trying to convey the idea he covers a lot of ground in the offensive zone while being hyper efficient with his touches. He doesn’t just grab the puck, skate for a while, get pinned and dump it down low type thing

Ah, thanks for explaining.

 

[socko]

I like him on the team, I just don't like him on the Matthews line. His contributions to that line are greatly exaggerated. Matthews is a great passer and he has a guy on his line who is a black hole offensively. It's dumb. I'd try him on the Kadri line, that's the grinding blue collar line that doesn't really pass the puck around. Perfect for him and he won't kill Matthews talent.

 

[TheTechNoir]

If the replacement player is a clone of Hyman but with NHL level hands/shot, Nylander and Matthews likely get a 5-10 point bump at minimum.

And name a dozen Hyman clones with better hands and shot out there? If he is a giant detriment to such a fantastically working line, there should be a bunch of guys out there who could fill the role. Who are they?

Now, of course, if you strip away many of the positives of Hyman, and simply place a guy with 'nhl level hands/shot' on the line... Matthews and Nylander certainly don't get a substantial boost to offensive production and general performance.

People do realize that this is one of the best lines in hockey right now from just about every standpoint, right? Sure, if the Leafs legitimately had some one who would better help that line from all angles, underlying and not, replace him. But until then, on the contrary, a lot of guys that have the things you wish Hyman had took his spot, they WOULD be anchors to the line, relative to Hyman.

Now, this all changes if Matthews or Nylander is hurt, then it depends more. Some players can be great as a first line player on one team, and a fourth liner on another. Chemistry, roles, and balance matter. And if you think without Hyman that line would be notably superior to how it is now... I question your expectations.

 

[bukwas]

It's hard not to notice how often Matthews and Nylander look right past Hyman in the offensive zone and off the rush. Defenders are aware of this and cheat a little but Hyman will continue to drive the net or park himself in the low slot so hey have no choice but to keep a man on him, thus restricting the opposition's focus on his linemates to some extent. On the other hand he takes the bulk of the beatings along the boards and in the slot, is very strong defensively and works extremely hard.
When all the factors are considered it's hard, if not impossible, to slap him with the biggest anchor handle.

 

[LeafFever]

I'd take him on the Pens any day.

Most teams would. I understand frustration if he's on the first line, but this guy can be an amzing pk'er and bottom 6 forward.