Oilers Zach Hyman bashes Leafs: no winning culture

Yesterday marked the fifth annual Hyman Family Foundation golf charity tournament in California, and reporters caught up with Hyman to ask him some questions, one involving how the Oilers handle free agency. Hyman praised interim GM Jeff Jackson for what he's done so far this off-season, and how the team has been able to sign players to lower amounts of money, which in turn will help them win more games.

People felt this comment was an indirect shot at the Leafs for not doing business the way the Oilers do, as Hyman likely felt the Leafs didn't have a win first mentality during his time there as they mismanaged their money and overspent on contracts, as we've seen Kyle Dubas recently admit making a mistake when signing John Tavares in 2018 to a massive $77 million contract.

Superstars have been known to take less money with the Oilers, as we've seen Leon Draisaitl do when he signed a contract paying him $8.5 million annually, which many people viewed as a steal. McDavid could have taken more than his $12.5 million annual salary as well, with experts saying he was worth 14 or even $15 million per year. Clearly, it's not just the role players taking less.

Credit Maple Leafs Daily:
Oilers forward Zach Hyman takes shot at Maple Leafs culture