Kevin Hayes experienced the worst season of his National Hockey League career in 2023-24 with the St. Louis Blues, scoring just 13 goals and 29 points over 79 games. But after being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this offseason, the 32-year-old is confident he can bounce back next year.
“I still think I can produce in this league,” the former first-round pick said earlier this week, according to NHL.com's Wes Crosby. “I want to show that to my teammates and the coaching staff.”
The American added: “In order to kind of get back to where I think I should be in this league, just building the right relationship with the coach, gaining trust in the coach and being able to play in all situations. I think the style of play that I have, I kind of am a pass-first player. I kind of want to switch into maybe having a little more of a shooting mentality. I try to make the players that I play with a little bit better around me. I think the opportunity in Pittsburgh will allow that.”
Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said earlier this summer that he expects Hayes to start the 2024-25 campaign at center, although he does have experience playing on the wing. If the former is true, Hayes will already be behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the depth chart, although he would be a candidate to play with one of the two stars if he moves to the wing.
The Boston native has two seasons remaining on a contract he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers back in June of 2019. That will pay him $7.14 million AAV over the next two years, with Philly retaining 50 percent of that salary as part of the trade that sent him to Missouri.
Penguins' Kevin Hayes feeling ‘inspired' after playing on 2 teams in 2 years
“Definitely an ego shot when you go on two teams in two years,” Hayes explained, per Crosby. “I'm a pretty confident person. I've been in the League for a long time. I've had successful seasons. I know what I need to do to make sure my game works in this league. I think I'll have a good opportunity in Pittsburgh to do that. I think instead of it being an ego shot, I'll use it more as motivation to kind of show those two teams I can still play and produce in this league.”
Hayes is just one season removed from a fantastic 81-game slate with the Flyers, where he put up 54 points in 2022-23. The hope in Pennsylvania is not only that he can find that form again, but that he can help the squad return to the postseason after back-to-back misses for the first time in the Crosby era.
Now entering his 11th season in the National Hockey League, Hayes is up to 168 goals and 415 points in 713 games split between the New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets, Flyers and Blues.
The Penguins will open their season against the Rangers — where Hayes played for five seasons — at home on October 9.
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