Oilers reportedly set to sign Hyman to ridiculous 8 year contract

According to multiple online reports the Edmonton Oilers are set to sign Toronto Maple Leafs forward and pending unrestricted free agent Zach Hyman to a seven or eight year deal worth in the neighbourhood of $40 million.

The deal, as reported first by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, would pay Hyman just slightly over $5 million per season on an eight year agreement or roughly $5.5 million on a seven year agreement.

Check it out:

For those counting at home that's eight years and $40 million for a 28 year old crash and bang winger who had his career year playing alongside the NHL's leading goal scorer (Auston Matthews). To me, that's about as risky as a contract can get. And don't get me wrong, Hyman still a very good player, but an eight year contract would take him to age 37. Will he still be a very good player at age 37? I suspect not. That contract is going to be an absolute anchor in 3 or 4 years. This same deal on a four or five year term would also make me nervous... but eight years is just insane.

Frankly, I have no clue what GM Ken Holland is trying to accomplish this offseason. First he made a much criticized trade for former superstar Duncan Keith at his full salary, then he signs 39 year old Mike Smith to a contract with term and now he's locking up a depth winger to a maximum term deal. That's.... an interesting way to use your resources. On paper the Oilers are improved sure, but there's almost no wiggle room to make any other changes and you can argue that with the cap space and resources available to him, Holland has delivered terrible value. 

I would ask the question, "What is Ken Holland doing to this team?" but I already know the answer. He's doing exactly what he did in the last decade we spent with the Detroit Red Wings. He's overspending both in dollars and in term to secure mediocre, easily replaceable veteran players. Just look at the sweet deals that Holland handed out to players like Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader, Frans Neilsen and Danny DeKeyser... all ugly deals and all in line with this new Hyman deal. I feel for Oilers fans at this point, but mostly I feel for Connor McDavid...