Kevin Hayes put together the best statistical season of his career, but that still may not be enough to remain with the Flyers.

Before the 2022-23 season even began, John Tortorella made it clear he was going to be hard on Kevin Hayes. In fact, he wasted no time putting his relationship with Hayes in the spotlight when he singled him out during his very first media availability as head coach of the Flyers.

"I want to try to help him, because if I can help him and make him understand that we're gonna try to get him to another level, what does he do for the Flyers organization up the middle of the ice? I've watched him from afar, and there's more there. And it's my responsibility to try to get that out of him."

Well, he certainly got a good offensive season out of Hayes. But Hayes' play away from the puck wasn't quite as good. On the contrary, it was pretty rough. And now, four seasons into the seven-year, $50 million contract he signed back in 2019, Hayes is a likely candidate to be traded this offseason.

Frankly, it's less a matter of if, and more a matter of when.

Season In Review

On paper, Hayes is coming off his best season as an NHLer. He logged career highs in assists (36) and points (54) and even earned his first trip to the NHL All-Star Game.

But despite the strong offensive numbers, this was a season to forget for Hayes, thanks mostly to his turbulent relationship with Tortorella.

Tortorella, famously, is an old-school coach. He preaches to his players the importance of a complete 200-foot game, and players who don't put in the same effort away from the puck as they do with the puck on their stick often face discipline in the form of reduced ice time.

Hayes got a good taste of that throughout the season.

Early in the season, Hayes was benched for the entire third period in a game against the San Jose Sharks. He was benched in the third period again a few weeks later in a tilt against the New Jersey Devils. Then, two days after the Devils game, Hayes was scratched against his former team — the New York Rangers — in a game he more than likely would have loved to play in.

But he didn't get that opportunity.

"I don't think I should have been benched, but it's not my decision," Hayes told reporters after being scratched. "He's the coach, I'm a player. He makes the lineup, he wants the best team on the ice to ultimately win. That's what he went with that night."

Hayes struggled in the defensive zone throughout the season, and it not only cost him ice time, but his position at center. At one point, Tortorella switched Hayes to wing in order to hand the defensive responsibilities over to Noah Cates — a rookie.

Not a great look for a guy who was originally brought in to serve as the Flyers' de facto second-line center.

Tortorella and Hayes both said the right things about each other all season long. They kept their differences in-house rather than letting any potential hostility spill into the public's view, and they've both dismissed the notion that any friction has developed between them.

But they likely won't be going golfing together after the campaign that just unfolded.

Hayes' season wasn't up to Tortorella's standards. He was under the microscope from his very first shift of the campaign to his very last, and no one will be shocked if he ends up playing for a different team next season.

Including himself.

"It looks like the younger guys are playing. I don't know if they want a guy that's making the money that I'm making playing nine, 10 minutes a night," said Hayes during his exit interview.

"I don't make those decisions. They do. And I'm sure they have to make them pretty quickly. Draft's coming up."

Standout Moment

Hayes' 2022-23 season wasn't his best, even if the point totals suggest otherwise. But that's not to say he didn't achieve some impressive milestones during the rocky campaign. Not only did he take part in the All-Star Game, but he also logged the first hat trick of his career.

On January 17 against the Anaheim Ducks, Hayes opened the scoring with a power-play laser in the first period. And in the final frame, he scored two more, including the empty-netter, to complete the hat trick.

Bottom Line

Hayes' season wasn't necessarily bad, but it certainly wasn't what Tortorella was hoping for when he expressed his excitement to work with him prior to the start of the campaign.

The Flyers are rebuilding, and Hayes no longer fits within their new timeline to contention. With three years remaining on his contract at a yearly cap hit of $7,142,857, trading Hayes won't exactly be an easy task for general manager Danny Briere. But it won't be impossible.

Just don't expect a massive return. Even if he is coming off an All-Star caliber campaign.

Verdict:

Statistics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and NHL.com.