After having their reported blockbuster get squashed, the Flyers and Blues finally agreed on a Kevin Hayes trade.
After having their reported blockbuster get squashed, the Flyers and Blues finally agreed on a Kevin Hayes trade.
It was only a matter of time.
Tuesday afternoon, after much speculation, the Philadelphia Flyers officially traded veteran forward Kevin Hayes to the St. Louis Blues.
In exchange for Hayes, the Flyers acquired a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
The Flyers will retain 50% of Hayes' salary, which will count for $3,571,428 against the cap over the next three seasons.
This Hayes trade certainly isn't the blockbuster deal many were anticipating. Originally, the Flyers and Blues were reported to have been working on a colossal trade that would have involved Hayes and several other pieces, including defenseman Travis Sanheim. However, the trade was shot down after Blues defenseman Torey Krug, who was also reportedly included in the deal, refused to waive the no-trade clause in his contract.
The return for Hayes may be underwhelming, but Hayes needed a change of scenery as the Flyers now shift into a rebuild.
The Flyers originally acquired Hayes' negotiating rights from the Winnipeg Jets in the summer of 2019. Two weeks later, he agreed to his seven-year, $50 million contract, which runs through the 2025-26 season.
His first season with the Flyers was excellent. He logged 23 goals and 41 points in 69 games and helped the Flyers win their first playoff series in over a decade.
Recently, though, Hayes has fallen out of favor in Philly. He and head coach John Tortorella did not mesh in their one season together, and it was obvious throughout the 2022-23 campaign. Tortorella scratched Hayes for a game against the New York Rangers in December, and as the season progressed, Hayes' ice time dwindled.
Despite the rocky relationship with Tortorella, Hayes still managed to put together the best statistical campaign of his career under the seasoned bench boss. He posted 18 goals and 54 points in 81 games and finished the season ranked second on the team in points.
Hayes knew at the end of the season he was likely to be traded at some point before the draft.
"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," Hayes told the media in April.
"I don't make those decisions. They do. And I'm sure they have to make them pretty quickly. Draft's coming up."
Hayes logged a total of 63 goals and 157 points in 253 games as a member of the Flyers.