Former Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes had a tough start to training camp. The 6-foot-5 forward exited the Pittsburgh Penguins' practice early on Sep. 18 after being injured from a hit by teammate Ryan Graves.
According to the Tribune-Review's Seth Rorabaugh, Penguins coach Dan Muse did not have an update on Hayes' injury after practice and noted that the former Flyer is being evaluated.
This is certainly unfortunate news for Hayes, especially when noting that he is looking to have a bounce-back season with the Penguins this year. In 64 games during the 2024-25 season with the Penguins, the Massachusetts native recorded 13 goals, 23 points, and a minus-15 rating. This was after he posted 13 goals and 29 points in 79 games with the St. Louis Blues during the 2023-24 campaign.
Hayes spent four seasons with the Flyers from 2019-20 to 2022-23, posting 63 goals, 94 assists, 157 points, and 236 hits in 253 games over that span. He was also named to the All-Star Game during his final season in Philly in 2022-23 and finished that season with 18 goals and 54 points in 81 games.
Hayes' time with the Flyers ended during the 2023 NHL off-season when he was traded to the Blues in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick.