Sullivan on What Kevin Hayes Must Do Better; Big Comparison for Little Prospect

The St. Louis Blues were nonplussed with Kevin Hayes and ultimately gave the Pittsburgh Penguins a 2026 second-round pick and 2025 third-rounder in exchange for Hayes and their 50% portion of his $7.1 million salary cap hit. For his part, Hayes wasn’t pleased with his performance or usage.

The last few years have been rough for Hayes. He found himself on Philadelphia Flyer coach John Tortorella’s naughty list before being traded to St. Louis and, a year later, to the Penguins.

Hayes, 32, is a big personality, and he’s quickly becoming a popular figure in the Penguins locker room. Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that he occupies a locker stall in approximately the same space as Jeff Carter, the previous elder statesman glue guy who retired last season.

“So I think Kevin is, first and foremost, a terrific person. You know, he brings a whole lot of personality to our to our locker room,” said coach Mike Sullivan. “I think he’s a really smart hockey player. And he makes a lot of plays with the puck.”

Hayes’s playmaking was readily apparent in the first days of training camp and was even more evident during his first preseason appearance on Tuesday. On multiple occasions, he set up linemates Cody Glass and Rutger McGroarty for clean scoring chances.

However, last season, he registered a full-season career-low 29 points, including 13 goals in 79 games. He dropped from 64% offensive zone starts the season before in Philadelphia to only 45% last season.

It all added up to a pretty rough season.

“I felt like last year I couldn’t really find a role in St. Louis, and I didn’t play my best hockey. So, (I’m) eager to get the season started, to kind of show that I can still play in this league and be part of a winning team,” said Hayes in July.

Tuesday night, after more than a week of training camp, coach Mike Sullivan revealed what the Penguins need from Hayes and what he must improve.

“We’re pushing Kevin to play the game with a little bit more pace. And that’s one element that we’ve been on him about because we think he can make a contribution and help us win games,” said Sullivan. “If he continues to try to play the game with pace and play on his toes and not get into glide mode, he can help us win games. From a ‘hockey player standpoint,’ I think his hockey IQ is really high. He has real good offensive instincts … We’re going to continue to push him because just on the base side of it, I think if we can elevate his base, I think there’s another level to him.”

Avery Hayes, Little Comparison

Avery Hayes, 21, isn’t on an NHL contract and probably won’t be in Pittsburgh Penguins camp much longer. However, for anyone who has followed along through the Penguins Prospects Challenge and the the first couple of preseason games, No. 85 has probably popped onto your radar.

Who is that?

Last season, the undrafted OHL product played 29 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He scored six goals and registered nine points.

He’s not the biggest winger, though the Penguins don’t necessarily overvalue size anyway. At 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, Hayes has been the guy always around the puck. In the Prospects Challenge, he and linemate Rutger McGroarty lit up the scoreboard.

In training camp, he’s also drawn a noteworthy comparison from Sullivan.

“I think one of the reasons why he’s playing these games is because we felt that he earned them. He plays the game with a lot of moxie,” Sullivan said. “He’s a guy that makes a lot of smart plays … He reminds me of Mats Zuccarello. That’s what I told him. He’s got a long stick. He sees the plays really well, and he makes a lot of plays that guys don’t make.”

That’s a pretty hefty comparison. Zuccarello was also an undrafted free agent. He caught on with the New York Rangers under John Tortorella and assistant coach Mike Sullivan in 2010.