According to Craig Custance of ESPN Magazine, the Florida Panthers have been informed by Zach Hyman’s camp that the prospect will not sign with the team prior to the August 16th collegiate signing deadline.
Panthers have been notified that prospect Zach Hyman won’t be signing w/them. Possible he gets traded before hitting UFA on Aug. 16.
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) April 21, 2015
Zach Hyman had a breakout year during the 2014-15 season at the University of Michigan. Before this past season, the right-wing had only 35 points in 114 games for Michigan. He was then put on a line with Dylan Larkin, a 2014 first-round pick by the Detroit Red Wings, and developed instant chemistry with each other. As a result, Hyman put up 54 points (22 goals | 32 assists) in 37 games, setting multiple career highs (goals | assists | points | +/-) in the process.
Based on the report, Panthers fans might be asking, “Why are we not able to sign Hyman to an ELC?” Well, that could be due to a few reasons. For one, Hyman’s production skyrocketed as soon as he was placed on a line with Larkin. The fact that he only scored 35 points in his first 116 games is not impressive. The team could have seen his production as a one trick pony and was afraid to offer him the max-contract that many players entering the NHL desire.
Another reason could be similar to another Florida prospect’s demands: a guaranteed spot on the Panthers 2015-16 roster rather than a two-way contract. Corban Knight asked for those very same demands and ended up on the way to Calgary due to the Panthers wanting to develop him in the minors to start the season. Nick Bjugstad asked for the same demands, but he was one of Florida’s top prospects and had a stellar career for the Minnesota Golden Gophers to back him up.
Instead of letting him walk for nothing, the club might opt to trade Hyman’s NHL rights to the highest bidding team. The Panthers could either get a mid-range draft pick, a minor league player, or another team’s prospect in the same situation as Hyman. Either way, the team is better off getting something for him than to let him become a UFA and leave the Panthers’ pool of prospects.
In previous seasons, Florida’s general manager Dale Tallon honored Nathan Horton’s and Gregory Campbell’s wishes in not wanting to be Florida Panthers and showed them the door. If Zach Hyman does not wish to join the Panthers, then he should be shown the door as well.
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