Penguins/NHL
PIT Receives: Kevin Hayes, 2025 2nd-Round Pick
STL Receives: Future Considerations:
Trade Analysis: [hide] In a pure salary dump the Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired forward Kevin Hayes from the St. Louis Blues, a trade that caught many around the league by surprise. Pittsburgh will take on a $3.571 million cap hit for the next two seasons as the Flyers are retaining $3.6 million of Hayes $7.1 million + cap hit. The Penguins get a 2025 2nd round sweetener from the Blues for taking on Hayes contract as Hayes is also due a $1.2 million signing bonus on Monday. Hayes, 32, was a major disappointment in St. Louis with 13 goals and 16 assists in 79 games with the Blues last season and is signed through the 2025-2026 season. Signing a massive 7 year, $50 million contract with the Flyers in 2019, a deal that has two more years remaining, Hayes career-high in points was a 54-point season with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2022-2023, a year the Flyers were actively trying to trade him and finally did last summer. To fully evaluate the Hayes acquisition will be the dominoe effect of what comes next. The center/wing capable forward is no longer a top-6 level player and this move was believed to be made with looking at Hayes as a third line level player. Pittsburgh has deals cooking for winger Reilly Smith and interest is out there on Lars Eller from contenders. Despite a lack of great skating ability, scouts still see Hayes as a high IQ player who can drive play a little, where getting 40-45 points out of him in the right situation isn’t crazy to expect. [/hide]
Rumblings: Dubas re-engaged Oilers this week determined to move Jarry; Crosby camp growing increasingly frustrated