Zach Hyman doesn’t want to talk about it. It’s not his style. It’s not his public way.
But it hurt. More than one of those slapshots than goes off his cheek hurts. This one hurt deep down, when you know how far you’ve come and how hard you’ve worked to get there. When you know that a slow 20-game start to a season doesn’t define who you are or how you play.
Hyman has done his talking on the ice since being left off Team Canada earlier this month. He’s avoided questions about it. It’s no coincidence his production has gone up since then. In the seven games he’s played, he’s scored a league-high eight goals. That comes after scoring just three in the first 20 games of the season.
The eight goals are two more than Leon Draisaitl, having a sensational year, five more than Connor McDavid, six more than Rocket Richard Trophy contender Sam Reinhart.
Would Hyman be more suited to play for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-off than Brad Marchand or Reinhart, more suited than Travis Konecny, Brandon Hagel or Seth Jarvis? And most suited to play with McDavid?
Barring an injury, he can’t be added to the Canadian team for the February tournament. But he should be part of the Olympic team one year from now in Milan.
The best thing to do between now and Milan is tell Hyman he can’t do something. Apparently, nothing motivates him more than proving people wrong.
THIS AND THAT
If Auston Matthews wasn’t healthy enough to play on a Saturday night in Toronto or most nights, he shouldn’t be freed to play for Team USA in February. Matthews is a jewel for the Leafs. This is a season with all kinds of possibilities. The Leafs have to do everything they can to make sure he’s ready to play in April and May. February shouldn’t matter to the Leafs. This is the worst start he’s had to any season and the mystery injury isn’t necessarily healing … The Leafs are one of several teams kicking around the idea of trading for Philadelphia centre Scott Laughton, the Oakville kid and former Oshawa General. Laughton is signed for this season and next at the reasonable price of $3 million. That makes him the kind of third-line centre that coach Craig Berube prefers. The price to acquire Laughton is likely a first-round draft pick with probably something else to add to the package. I could see a playoff roster with Laughton centring Max Domi and Bobby McMann … Laughton played his minor hockey in the GTHL, mostly for coach Dan Brown, Connor’s father, on a team that had the remarkable number of seven players drafted to the NHL … Laughton happens to be a very popular player on the Flyers team … If the Leafs trade for Laughton and choose to re-sign John Tavares next season at about $6 million a year — my price not theirs — that would mean they would be paying $9 million for Tavares and Laughton next season which is $2 million less than they’re paying now for Tavares alone … This week in the NHL: The Sabres can’t find a way to win; the Rangers can’t stand their general manager; the Canucks can’t stand each other. The Young and the hockey Restless … If the Rangers or Sabres are looking for new GMs, one of the best places to look is at your television screen. You see Ray Ferraro or Kevin Weekes on TV all the time. They could GM my team any day … The relationship between Rangers players and GM Chris Drury reminds me of the time many Maple Leafs players wanted John Ferguson Jr. out as GM of the club. One player back then went so far as to ask a writer to help him compose a letter to de facto owner Larry Tanenbaum to let him know why Ferguson had to go. The wide-eyed Tanenbaum, who believes everyone he hires is great, was just about the last person to know Ferguson wasn’t up for the job … Peter Laviolette’s long history as an NHL coach: Great first season with new team, not so great after that. Sometimes the drop happens in the third season. He has a little Pat Burns in him record-wise. Burns had his best seasons in Montreal, Toronto, Boston and New Jersey in the first season he coached those teams … Two reasons why too many goaltenders get injured: 1) the butterfly style of play. It’s unnaturally hard on a players’ hips and knees; 2) The RVH stance — or not as well-known as the reverse vertical horizontal stance. That’s hard on goalies’ ankles and hips … We’re day-to-day on the grandchild watch in our house. If the Leafs were making the announcement, the day-to-day baby would be coming in four to six weeks.
HEAR AND THERE
The obsession over getting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed long-term is fascinating from at least one point of view: As Vladdy was having an exceptional season for the Jays, the club did not. It finished 20 games behind the Yankees … With Guerrero being great, the Jays still finished 13th in home runs, 11th in runs scored, 14th in stolen bases, 12th in WAR. So far, they’ve added speed and defence in Andres Gimenez, who will add to their stolen base total. But where is the additional offence coming from? … By chasing Juan Soto, the Jays established a price they would pay for a single player. In other words, by not signing Soto, all they did was damage their own negotiating position with Guerrero. Truth is, they should have had him re-signed years ago, long term, and for way less money than they’ll end up paying him now. That’s poor management on their part … Since missing out on Soto, the Yankees have added Max Fried, closer Devin Williams, traded for Cody Bellinger and signed Paul Goldschmidt. To date, the Jays have added Gimenez and some middle of the road relief pitchers … If I’m Edward Rogers and I own the Blue Jays — and soon I’ll own just about everything — I would watch Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins closely. If they don’t add anything of consequence between now and April, I would show them the door before the season begins … Cheering as always for Calgary’s Mike Soroka to find his way back as a big-league pitcher who matters. It’s been a tough few years for the oft-injured Soroka, who is still only 27 years old. Soroka is surprisingly being paid $9 million by the Washington Nationals on a one-year deal.
RIP RICKEY HENDERSON
There are many Rickey Henderson stories. This is my favourite. He was in his 40s, still playing, sitting on the bus with one of his final major-league teams. The younger players, killing time, were playing ‘Where were you when this happened?’ They came to the Joe Carter home run. One player said he was in high school. Another said he was in grade school. Another was in the low minors. The bus almost went silent before Henderson spoke: He said: “I was on second base.” Indeed he was in his only Blue Jays season when the Jays won their second World Series. Henderson played on nine teams in 25 big-league years and in his only season in Toronto he called me and a whole lot of other people “big man.” As in: “How’s it going, big man?” Because he couldn’t remember names. Rickey stole more bases and scored more runs than anyone in baseball history. The perpetually young Henderson was just 65 when he passed away on Saturday, leaving behind memories of a great smile a spectacular career and an unintentional sense of humour.
SCENE AND HEARD
So, this makes no sense to a former college economics student: NBA television ratings are plummeting like a bad stock and, at the same time, players salaries are significantly on the rise. We’re watching less of these guys who are getting paid more. Who’s in charge of this model, Chrystia Freeland? … The only thing I remember from economics in university: A thick textbook written by Lipsey, Sparks and Steiner … The commissioner of the NBA is concerned there is too much three-point shooting in basketball. The commissioner of baseball is concerned about the state of starting pitching. The NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman, is likely less concerned about the game and more concerned about the state of the Canadian dollar, where his cash cow franchises in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are bringing in revenue from a shrinking loonie … There is no Bob Cole or Doc Emrick calling hockey any longer, which is unfortunate for all of us. But every time I hear Gord Miller, I think he’s the best play-by-play man in the game. Until I hear Chris Cuthbert, and then I think he’s the best play-by-play man in the game. So I can’t decide which one I like better. They’re 1-2, 2-1 on my list … Cris Collinsworth is my favourite colour man in football and has been for years … I have great admiration for Lou Lamoriello and all he has accomplished in his NHL career. But I’m bothered when I watch the rather aimless New York Islanders play. I wish this roster could be fixed. I wish Lou could pull off some old style magic. I really do … Fame is fleeting. Mike Krushelnyski had a fine 14-year NHL career playing for five different teams, including the Leafs. He was good enough to be part of the Mitch Marner Christmas charity event last week. Yet, when the local CTV station interviewed him the other day, they fonted him as Mike ‘Krushynski’. They must have missed that 88-point season he had in Edmonton with the 1985 Stanley Cup champion Oilers.
AND ANOTHER THING
Josh Allen is just about everybody’s pick for NFL MVP, which means the eye test is winning. Superman rules. Statistically, though, Lamar Jackson, the defending MVP and a two-time winner, has better numbers than Allen. He’s passed for more yards, run for more yards, and thrown fewer interceptions. In fact, all three of Jackson’s interceptions have come on balls that should have been caught by a Baltimore receiver. The unstoppable Allen, however, has run for 11 touchdowns, eight more than Jackson … Pretty impressive to have Allen, Jackson, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Bo Nix, all in the AFC, all 28 years old or younger. The old young man in the conference — the 14-1 Patrick Mahomes at 29 … The statistic coaches love about Nix: The rookie rarely gets sacked. He’s been sacked 22 times in 15 games this season in Denver. Caleb Williams has been sacked 58 times in Chicago … Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who does just about everything right, just about every day, had a rough night in the final game of the NBA Cup. He made just eight of 24 shots and didn’t look like an MVP candidate opposite Giannis Antetokounmpo … Four of the top five scorers in the NBA, which includes Giannis and Gilgeous-Alexander, are not Americans. Wonder if this is also part of the reason why NBA ratings are tanking in front of a xenophobic audience … From the Department of Some Things In Life Make No Sense: The National Women’s Soccer League in the U.S., is selling expansion franchises for more than $100 million … There’s a Jarome Iginla car commercial on TV, with him saying it was his dream to be the first athlete to play professional baseball and professional hockey at the same time. It’s a very nice commercial and Iginla is impossible to dislike, so we hate to point out that before he played a game in the NHL, Kirk McCaskill pitched for the California Angels and played for Winnipeg’s AHL farm team in Sherbrooke. That’s professional baseball and professional hockey at just about the same time. McCaskill wound up pitching 12 seasons in the big leagues … Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine was selected in the 1984 NHL draft, well ahead of Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille and Gary Suter. He officially played one game of professional hockey at the age of 43 in the East Coast League. Just so he could tell people he was a pro hockey player and a pro baseball player … I can’t imagine anyone not voting for Ichiro Suzuki on this year’s Baseball Hall of Fame ballot … A happy and a healthy holiday season to everyone — especially healthy to one and all … Happy birthday to Tom Henke (67), Ian Turnbull (71), Corey Mace (39), Charlie McAvoy (27), Travis Dermott (28), Ian Sunter (72), Mauro Ranallo (55), Brandon Banks (37), Dave Kingman (76), Cody Ceci (31) and Jamie Oleksiak (32) … And hey, whatever became of Frazer McLaren?
twitter.com/simmonssteve