Earlier this NHL offseason, the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Kevin Hayes in a trade from the St. Louis Blues. He played in 79 games last season and scored 13 goals and recorded 16 assists. His plus/minus rating was 0. Hayes is 32 years old and has been with different NHL teams throughout his career. In the past, he has played for the Penguins’ rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, and the New York Rangers.
When Hayes was acquired in a trade, many fans were not thrilled with the move because fans had expressed that they needed to get younger around Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and not older. They made other bold moves last offseason in the trade market like acquiring Defenseman Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks. Pittsburgh missed the playoffs over the last two seasons and it could be very well three years in a row in 2024-2025. Crosby had never missed the playoffs two years in a row in his NHL career and it would be crushing if it was three years in a row.
It is possible that the Penguins could be one of the worst teams in the NHL during the 2024-2025 season. Some fans want to see a rebuild begin already and President Kyle Dubas thinks that they can still contend. Dubas has not made very good decisions for this hockey team in the past, like giving goalie Tristan Jarry a huge contract extension during the 2023 offseason.
Kevin Hayes Speaks To the Media
Kevin Hayes spoke to Michelle Crechiolo of Pens Inside Scoop about playing for the Penguins now after playing with two divisional rivals throughout his NHL career up to this point. Hayes told her:
“It’s kinda funny how the two teams I played for are huge rivals with Pittsburgh. There was always kind of a low-key hatred there when you were on these teams, and now it’s the complete opposite, where I have that hatred towards the other teams. It’s very exciting. Eager to get this season started to kind of show I can still play in this league, and be part of a winning team.”
It will be interesting to see where he plays this season on the Pittsburgh Penguins. He could very well be on the second line with Evgeni Malkin, but there is a chance that Hayes could also play on the first line with Sidney Crosby. Head Coach Mike Sullivan loves to mix up the lines now and then. Sullivan has also received heat from the fanbase about questionable coaching decisions from the last several seasons. Mike Sullivan will not be going anywhere because FSG loves him.
Hayes also added about his performance last season with the St. Louis Blues:
“I felt like last year, I couldn’t really find a role in St. Louis to play my best hockey. I don’t want to say they were going into a rebuild, because I don’t think they are, and I know when that was said last year, the guys in the locker room didn’t really appreciate it. I just didn’t really fit into their plan, I guess.”
One of the reasons why the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired him is because he is a player who could help them win now. Hayes still has two years remaining on his contract and will be a free agent after the 2025-2026 season. It will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh will be his last stop on his current contract or if he will be shopped again. Another reason they brought in Kevin Hayes was because they traded away Reilly Smith to the New York Rangers during the offseason. Smith did not fit in well last season. Kevin Hayes hopes to be a better fit this time around.
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