According to Bob Stauffer and Elliotte Friedman, Zach Hyman has put himself on Team Canada’s radar as the team prepares its official lineup for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Hyman was scheduled to announce the team on New Year’s Eve and was not a favorite to get a spot. He still might not make the team, but if he doesn’t, it will only happen after some serious back-and-forth from Team Canada’s managers.
Stauffer and his guests, including former general manager Brian Lawton, discussed the odds that Evan would get Bouchard a spot. “I think it’s a shame if that isn’t the case, because [Bouchard] it deserves to be there in my opinion,” Lawton said. Stauffer agreed, arguing that Bouchard deserved it more than some of the people Team Canada is likely to select.
However, he is not convinced Bouchard will get the call.
Hyman could do that, though. When Stauffer asked Friedman about Bouchard, the NHL insider switched gears. He says he burns a lot of goodwill asking about this stuff. When he asked about Bouchard, his sources suggested he was focusing on the wrong Oiler. They believe Hyman is the one with the better shot. ‘I heard it [Hyman] really forced himself into the conversation,” Friedman said.
The injury kept him off the radar early, but he made a strong late push. Friedman said he kept hearing the same thing: Hyman pushing his way into the conversation. Along the way, his play really changed the way people viewed him.
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