"It's an egregious, egregious omission": NHL analyst goes scorched earth over Zach Hyman's snub from Canada's roster for 4 Nations Face-Off

Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman's exclusion from Team Canada's roster for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament has sparked questions about the decision to leave the forward out.

NHL analyst Craig Button expressed strong criticism of the decision during a segment on TSN's Sportscentre with Jay Onrait. Button labeled Hyman's omission as "egregious," highlighting his consistency of impressive performances this year.

"It's an egregious omission. ... He can play with anybody. He can play in any situation. He helps everybody be better. He helps teams be better. It's not just an omission, regrets. It's an egregious, egregious omission," Button said.

Button noted that Hyman's contributions extend beyond personal statistics, as he enhances the performances of those around him. The analyst reckoned Hyman should have been included in the roster, calling him the most significant omission in Team Canada's roster.

"Zach Hyman should be on this team, but you can put them anywhere. Darryl Sutter used to talk about all the boxes you can play in. So if you've got 12 forward spots, Zach is not going to be a center. There's eight boxes. He can play in penalty killing, power play, and he can play with the superstars, the best of the best," Button added.

Zach Hyman has been in top form for the Oilers this season. The 32-year-old forward has collected 29 points through 17 goals and 12 assists in 43 games. In the Oilers' 6-2 win over the Canucks on Thursday, Hyman racked up three points.

Meanwhile, the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament kicks off on Feb. 12, with Team Canada scheduled to play Sweden at Bell Centre in Montreal.

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Zach Hyman praises team performance in Connor McDavid's absence

Hyman shared his thoughts about the team's performance in the absence of Connor McDavid, who's serving a three-game suspension for cross-checking Conor Garland last week.

Hyman noted that the entire squad needed to elevate their game and praised the contributions from the defense.

"With Connor out, everyone needs to step up and I thought it was a good four-line performance. All the ‘D’ contributed and ‘Picks’ played great. Good team win,” said Hyman.

“It's more natural, easier to breathe and when you look down you can see the puck and bury it there when you've got a split second. That helps."

Hyman and the Oilers return to the ice against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.