Maple Leafs Have a Plan for Trying to Replace Zach Hyman

If the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to find a suitable replacement for forward Zach Hyman — should he leave via free agency this summer — it doesn’t sound like the team is going to fill his shoes with one player. Instead, GM Kyle Dubas might have a strategy in place to shuffle around the roster a bit and replace Hyman by committee.

Chris Johnston was recently on Sportsnet 590 and was talking about Hyman leaving and what it might mean for the Maple Leafs roster moving forward. A key player who was supposed to be part of their future, the amount of money Hyman will command on the free agent market has gotten to a point where, not only can the Leafs probably not afford to keep him, but there are questions about whether or not it’s a good idea to pay him as much as he’s likely going to get. That’s fair, especially if he gets somewhere in the neighborhood of the rumored $6 million by six years that is being discussed by hockey insiders.

Related: Corey Perry: The Player the Maple Leafs Let Get Away

Johnston believes there’s a potential silver lining here that opens up some possibilities for the roster. While the NHL analyst certainly isn’t suggesting that losing Hyman is a good thing, he does note, “I think what it kind of does is set up interesting philosophical questions for them in the off-season.” He’s suggesting Hyman’s exit will force the Maple Leafs to look at how they’ve deployed their forwards and see if there’s a better way.

Johnston notes, “I don’t think it’s a matter of trying to sign one player that does all the things Zach Hyman did.” In other words, if you can’t replace Hyman with a player that gives you exactly what Hyman did for the same amount of money, find two players who add up to giving you the same set of tools. In other words, the sum totals of the parts is greater than the individual.

Johnston suggests the Maple Leafs could sign a weaker third-line player who might be able to keep up with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on the top line. Since the NHL is often about which duos work best, as long as that third player can handle the minutes, he should get points by proxy. Learn how to get yourself in the right spot, keep your stick on the ice and watch the points and assists totals climb.

After that, sign a depth winger who can play on the third line and provide the same kind of two-way play and penalty killing minutes. If that player can add some jam and grit, even better.

What Kind of Players Will the Maple Leafs Key in On?

There may not be a lot of players out there who can do what Hyman does. That’s what makes him such a valuable commodity on the open market. But, speculation is the Maple Leafs will be keying in on 25 and 26-year-old free agents that may have fallen through the cracks with other organizations. The hope is that there’s a hidden gem out there the Leafs can shine up and give an opportunity to.

Some of the names in that age group — and this is not to suggest the Leafs will reach out to these players specifically — include Andreas Athanasiou, Mark Jankowski, Alexander Wennberg, Dominik Kahun, and Anthony Duclair. All of these players were making $2.25 million per season or less. You could actually likely sign two of them and spend half the money it would have cost to retain Hyman, even if he took a team-friendly discount.

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