Leafs make unreasonable demand to Oilers for Hyman deal!

Earlier this week there was almost a clear sense that forward Zach Hyman would be moving on from the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason. Then talks of a sign and trade deal with the Edmonton Oilers started to emerge and it pretty much felt like this was it. 

However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman now reports that the Maple Leafs are asking way too much of the Oilers. Per Friedman, Toronto demands a second round pick for Hyman in a sign and trade deal, however the Oilers are offering a sixth round pick. 

This could therefore ruin the sign and trade option with Edmonton, though Hyman could still end up there on a seven-year deal as soon as free agency opens. 

We all saw how Hyman has been a key piece to Toronto’s top-six forward core in the past few seasons, able to keep up and get Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner going on the ice. There was hope that a deal could get done when the Oilers managed to re-sign Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to an eight-year, $41 million contract, though Hyman is still looking for a steep raise. 

And it sounds almost certain that Hyman would be returning as his agent Todd Reynolds informed Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun on Friday:

"Zach will be signing elsewhere. He won't be returning to Toronto."

Koshan points out, along the same lines as Friedman, that while there is an agreement in place between the Maple Leafs and Oilers, GM Ken Holland and Dubas are still working on compensation. 

Hyman has spent the entirety of his career in Toronto, compiling 86 goals and 185 points over 345 games. With his four-year, $9-million contract in the books, Hyman has emerged as both a top-line winger due for a top raise. 

It might be over for a sign and trade deal with Edmonton. We might have to wait and see until July 28th to see where Hyman ends up on a seven-year deal or less.