Why Zach Hyman deserved a look on Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off team

When Canada announced their roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off Thursday, one notable omission was Edmonton Oilers’ forward Zach Hyman, who’s coming off a 54-goal campaign and is arguably the best linemate Connor McDavid has ever had.

But a slow start to the 2024-25 season, with just three goals and five assists for eight points through 20 games, may have led Hockey Canada executives to hesitate when it came to picking the rosters.

On Thursday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discuss Hyman being left off the roster and if it was the right choice.

Tyler Yaremchuk: Not having Zach Hyman on Canada’s roster, I think that’s a notable omission, especially when you consider who was picked above him. I raised an eyebrow at Seth Jarvis.

I look at the left side and the guys who play that area, I think having all of Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel and Sam Bennett and Jarvis, I feel like they went too far in the direction of getting guys who are good defensively, they didn’t focus enough on upside.

Who were the big surprises for you?

Frank Seravalli: Hyman, to me, stands out in a big way. I think there’s a ton of recency bias there for the poor start to the season that he’s had. When you look at the last number of years, he’s fifth among all Canadian-born players in goals.

I’s not just the goal scoring, it’s the connection he has with Connor McDavid. When you’re looking at a short tournament and trying to put that together, where you’re trying to find as much chemistry as you can possibly have, that stands out in a big way.

Plus, the fact he’s also, for my money, the best forechecking presence in the NHL. I call him a “press player,” and I don’t think there’s anyone better and more consistent at getting in and grinding and creating and winning battles, and I think you need that in a short tournament.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…