The Pittsburgh Penguins have a few spots open in their forward lineup for this season, which will make training camp a lot of fun to follow when it starts in a few weeks.
Kevin Hayes is one of the forwards who will be jockeying for one of the spots after finishing the 2024-25 season with 13 goals and 23 points in 64 games. He was a healthy scratch at some points last season and was also banged up at times, but still put up decent numbers in a bottom-six role. It was his first season with the Penguins after they acquired him, along with a second-round pick, from the St. Louis Blues on June 29 of last year. He was excited about the move to Pittsburgh because he felt he didn’t play his best hockey with St. Louis during the 2023-24 season.
"I felt like last year, I couldn't really find a role in St. Louis and didn't play my best hockey,” Hayes said last year, via THN’s Lou Korac.
Although Hayes didn't win with the Penguins last year, as they missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season, he still demonstrated his ability to play in the NHL. It was his 11th season in the league, and he has now played for the New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Winnipeg Jets, the Blues, and the Penguins. In 777 career NHL games, Hayes has compiled 181 goals and 438 points.
Hayes even got to spend some time on the top power play unit with the big guns last season, including team captain Sidney Crosby. Four of his 13 goals came on the man-advantage, along with three of his ten assists, and he finished the year with 118 minutes on the PP. It was the sixth straight year that Hayes finished with 100+ minutes on the man-advantage. Former head coach Mike Sullivan, who is now the head coach of the Rangers, liked using Hayes on the PP due to his vision and how big he is around the net.
At 5v5 last year, Hayes’s most common linemates were Philip Tomasino and Drew O’Connor (before O’Connor got dealt to the Vancouver Canucks with defenseman Marcus Pettersson). Tomasino will also be back for the Penguins next year after re-signing with them on July 1, so he and Hayes could get some minutes together again if Muse likes what he sees during training camp and the preseason. He could also potentially get some minutes with fellow veteran forward Justin Brazeau, whom the Penguins just signed as a free agent in July. They appreciate the skill Brazeau demonstrated and think he will be a good fit after finishing last year with 11 goals and 22 points in 76 games.
When it comes to a role for Hayes, he will be seen as someone who can chip in at times for the Penguins, but he will still have to earn his minutes. He will be competing against veterans and younger players who want to make the jump and be full-time NHLers. He’s best served for a bottom-six role but can also play further up in the lineup for a few games if injuries occur. Hayes also has the flexibility to play center and wing after spending time at both positions last year. If he’s not playing, his impact will definitely be felt in the locker room. He’ll be someone that some of the other players can rely on as a leader.
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Hayes is one of several Penguins players who will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 season. Considering where the Penguins are in their rebuild, they could flip him to a contender at the trade deadline if he produces well enough. Stanley Cup contenders are always looking for more scoring at the deadline since you need four scoring lines if you want to win it all. There will be nights when the stars don’t have it, and the depth pieces have to carry the load.
Not many fans expected much from Hayes last season, but he went out and had himself a fine season. It would benefit the Penguins if he can repeat that success this year when their 2025-26 season starts on October 7 against the Sullivan's Rangers.
(Data via Dobber's Frozen Tools and Natural Stat Trick).
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