On Friday, Todd Reynolds, the agent for pending UFA Leafs forward
Zach Hyman, put the nail in the coffin on a potential return to Toronto when he announced that Hyman would not return to the Leafs next season and that a deal is in place with the Edmonton Oilers.
Oilers GM Ken Holland was entertaining two separate contracts for Hyman - an 8-year deal at $5M per season and a 7-year deal with a $5.5M AAV. The idea there was that the Leafs would be willing to enter into a sign-and-trade agreement with the Oilers to offer that 8th year in an attempt to lower Hyman's AAV by $500,000 per season over the term of the deal.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger on Saturday, the cost of that 8th year from the Leafs perspective was a higher price than the Oilers were willing to pay. Original rumours had the Leafs asking for as much as a 2nd round pick in exchange for locking up Hyman for that extra year for Ken Holland.
Obviously, it goes without saying that any savings in a flat cap situation have value. That said, when the cost for those savings becomes prohibitive, sometimes you just have to roll the dice and take the chance.
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The Leafs appear to have dug in here, willing to accept nothing for
Zach Hyman over a bringing back a diminished return for doing the Oilers a favor.
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