As NHL free agency draws near, It looks increasingly likely that Zach Hyman has played his last game in a Maple Leafs tarp, and the notion that Toronto might lose a 29-year-old, 40-point winger with injury issues has predictably swallowed up the NHL's news cycle over the past couple days.
TSN insider Darren Dreger dropped news on Thursday that Leafs fans were reluctantly waiting to hear, reporting the Maple Leafs "have granted Zach Hyman’s agent, Todd Reynolds, permission to speak with other NHL clubs to investigate trading his rights."
The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun set the tire fire ablaze on Wednesday morning after he tweeted an update on the wrecking-ball winger's contract status with the Leafs, causing fans to really face head-on the likely possibility of Hyman testing the open market and chasing his big payday with another organization.