Hayes returns to Philadelphia for first time since trade to St. Louis; Blues will try to build off win Saturday, keep flickering playoff hopes alive with three games left until trade deadline starting five-game road trip against Flyers
Kevin Hayes returns.
The center, acquired by the St. Louis Blues from the Philadelphia Flyers on June 27 for a 2024 sixth-round pick, and of which the Flyers retained 50 percent of Hayes' remaining three years of a seven-year contract that carries a cap hit of $7,142,858, is likely to get the Philly treatment tonight, a chorus of boos but not for getting traded, but for the developments that ensued when a local reporter in Philadelphia made alleged comments that Hayes was the reason that Flyers traded Cutter Gauthier, the fifth pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, wouldn't sign a contract and basically forced a trade out of Philadelphia; he was ultimately dealt to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick on Jan. 8.
It was something Hayes publicly vehemently denied and was upset about, and Flyers coach John Tortorella defended Hayes in the process:
But surely there will be Flyers fans in attendance that will play on the rhetoric that came from the events of it all.
Hayes has 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 60 games with the Blues this season but has gone 19 straight games without scoring, his last coming Jan. 13 against the Boston Bruins.
He'd love to break that drought tonight.
Stay tuned.
Also, how will Blues defenseman Torey Krug be received?
No, Krug has never played for the Flyers and won't be making any kind of return nor will he be getting any sort of tribute video, but Philly fans won't forget either that Krug nixed a trade to the Flyers that was supposed to be a bigger version with the Hayes trade that included Flyers Travis Sanheim coming to St. Louis for Krug and components.
Perhaps Flyers fans are more softened to the fact someone spurned a chance to go there with the way Sanheim has performed for the Flyers this season, but knowing the passion and letting their feelings known, it wouldn't shock to see when Krug is on the ice tonight or once he touches the puck, Philly fans will let the 32-year-old know how they feel.
Again ... stay tuned.
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The Blues (31-26-3), who are seven points behind the Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings for the two wild card spots in the Western Conference, won't make any lineup changes tonight, and Jordan Binnington, who made 21 saves on Saturday in a 3-1 win against the Minnesota Wild, will start in goal. With a game against the New York Islanders on Tuesday, Joel Hofer would be projected as the starter but with the Blues now in full urgency mode, it's not out of the realm of possibility for Binnington to get back-to-back starts.
Again, and again, stay tuned!
That also means forward Kasperi Kapanen and defenseman Scott Perunovich, each a healthy scratch last week against the Edmonton Oilers, will be in the lineup tonight.
Each had a solid performance in Saturday's win.
"I thought Scott played well. I liked Kapi's game, I liked Scott's game," Blues interim coach Drew Bannister said. "I thought they responded well to not playing the last game. Going back to Winnipeg and going back to Edmonton, the guys that struggled in Detroit, we got a good response from them. Tonight was a good night for those players.
"I think when [Perunovich] has got the puck on his stick, he does a lot of good things. That was never the issue, but the competitive side, going back to get pucks under pressure, I thought he was more willing to do that."
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The Blues' projected lineup:
Pavel Buchnevich-Robert Thomas-Jordan Kyrou
Zachary Bolduc-Brayden Schenn-Jake Neighbours
Brandon Saad-Kevin Hayes-Alexey Toropchenko
Nathan Walker-Oskar Sundqvist-Kasperi Kapanen
Nick Leddy-Colton Parayko
Torey Krug-Justin Faulk
Marco Scandella-Scott Perunovich
Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Sammy Blais, Tyler Tucker and Nikita Alexandrov. The Blues report no injuries.
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The Flyers' projected lineup:
Joel Farabee-Scott Laughton-Tyson Foerster
Owen Tippett-Morgan Frost-Cam Atkinson
Noah Cates-Ryan Poehling-Garnet Hathaway
Nicolas Deslauriers-Sean Couturier-Bobby Brink
Cam York-Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler-Sean Walker
Egor Zamula-Marc Staal
Samuel Ersson will start in goal; Felix Sandstrom will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Olle Lycksell and Ronnie Attard. Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body), Travis Konecny (upper body) and Jamie Drysdale (upper body) are out.
