"Would've kicked in a few goals" - Don Cherry believes $38,500,000 Oilers superstar could've been key difference maker in Stanley Cup Final

Don Cherry thinks the Oilers missed Zach Hyman in the Stanley Cup Final. The Edmonton Oilers lost to the Florida Panthers 5-1 in Game 6 of the cup final. It was the second year in a row that Florida defeated Edmonton to lift the cup.

Hyman was injured in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final. He dislocated his wrist in a collision with Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment. He had surgery and missed Game 5 and the full finals series.

Cherry talked about it on Sunday's episode of "The Don Cherry's Grapevine Podcast." He was asked if Hyman could have made a difference.

"I really do," Cherry said. "He would’ve kicked in a few goals and been in front of the net. Good guy in front of the net."

Last season, the Panthers struggled to win Games 4, 5 and 6 when Hyman contributed the goals and assists. The Oilers took the series to Game 7 despite an initial 3-0 lead by Florida.

In the first three games, in which Edmonton lost, Hyman had zero points. So, this points to the fact that his presence does make a big difference for the team.

Cherry's son Tim agreed and said,

“That’s what they needed—someone to get dirty goals.”

Responding to which, Don said,

“I really believe that. At least contribute.”

Hyman, who is on a seven-year, $38,500,000 contract, had 11 points in 15 games before the injury. He played on the top line and the first power-play unit. He also led all players in the playoffs with 111 hits. His strong play in front of the net was missed against Florida.

This year, the Oilers initially had a strong playoff run. They beat the Kings, Golden Knights, and Stars in six or fewer to reach the final. But they just couldn't control the first period against Florida. The Panthers always managed to get a good start, and Edmonton kept trying the same thing over and over again, as captain Connor McDavid mentioned.

"We kept trying the same thing over and over again," McDavid said after Game 6 loss."Just banging our heads against the wall. Credit to them, they played well."

The Edmonton Oilers' poor start against Florida

The Edmonton Oilers were often spotted trailing in the series against the Florida Panthers. They were down 3-1 in Game 1, 4-3 in Game 2, 2-0 in Game 3 and 5-0 in Game 6. It was hard to catch up against Florida’s defense and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

Even Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the top two forwards in the league, failed to execute their offensive dominance.

"Their forecheck was great," McDavid said, who scored just one goal in the finals series. "They tilted the rink, they were able to stay on top of us all over the place. Never really able to generate any momentum up the ice."

Edmonton also struggled in goal, as Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard could not match Bobrovsky’s performance.