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Kevin Hayes

Metropolitan Notes: Flyers’ Offense, Hornqvist, Tanev, Merzlikins

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With a modest 10-6-4 record, the Philadelphia Flyers sit in tied for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. One thing holding the team back is their lack of scoring, far behind teams like the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes and the injury-riddled Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sam Carchidi of Philly.com suggests that one of the biggest problem is the lack of production from some of their top-six players, including Kevin Hayes, James van Riemsdyk and Jakub Voracek. It’s been even worse in the last 10 games, even though Philadelphia has gone 5-2-3 in that span. Regardless, Philadelphia has scored just 25 goals, for an average of just 2.5 goals per game in their last 10.

Hayes, who signed a seven-year, $50MM deal this offseason, has score zero goals and is minus-eight in his last 10 games. Van Riemsdyk has just one goal in his last 11 games, while Voracek also has failed to score in his last 10 games.

“We’re working on getting better as a group,” head coach Alain Vigneault said. “We’re not where I think we can get to, but we are working extremely hard and we’ve got a lot of faith that we’ll be able to get there.”

  • Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Matt Vensel reports that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist participated at practice for the first time since he suffered his lower-body injury on Nov. 2. The 32-year-old worked on his own before the Penguins practiced and wore a gray, non-contact jersey during the light practice. With the practiced focused mainly on the power play, Hornqvist did not participate in those drills. “He’s making significant progress. Obviously, the fact that he joined the team in a non-contact jersey is an indication of that,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “With the limited time I had an opportunity to watch him … I thought he looked pretty good.”
  • The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription required) wonders if the Penguins should consider moving fourth-line forward Brandon Tanev up in the lineup permanently. The team’s free-agent acquisition was moved up in the lineup recently due to the Penguins’ rash of injuries and has played well. His performance Saturday against Toronto was impressive two as the 27-year-old had two assists, four hits and a plus-two and made a positive impact.
  • NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda notes that while Joonas Korpisalo has received the majority of appearances for the Columbus Blue Jackets in net, that may change. Backup Elvis Merzlikins may be seeing more time soon. Their stats lately have been almost identical. Korpisalo in his last five games has a 2.40 GAA and a .919 save percentage, while backup Merzlikins has a 2.45 GAA and a .919 save percentage. “Elvis is improving,” head coach John Tortorella said. “That comes into some decision making for me as we go through here because I have to monitor everything with those two guys because of just the situation we’re in. We’ll see where it goes.”

Metropolitan Notes: Hall, Hayes, Greiss

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No one expected for New Jersey star and 2017-18 Hart Trophy winner to miss as much time as he did last season. The Devils’ forward didn’t play another game after Christmas due to a knee injury and then in February underwent arthroscopic knee surgery that helped keep him out for the rest of the year.

However, NHL.com reports that Hall now says he’s fully healthy and will be ready for training camp.

“I feel really good,” Hall said. “It’s been a long process not playing a game for that long. It really takes a toll on you mentally but being back on the ice and being able to play at a at a pretty high intensity, even though it’s just the summer, feels really nice. I haven’t had any issues with the knee so far since I’ve been skating, and it’s been a really good process, so hopefully that can continue in [training] camp.”

Despite than missing more than half a season (33 games total), he still was on pace for a big season with 11 goals and 37 points and the 27-year-old is hoping to return to his 2017-18 success when he tallied 39 goals and 92 points and helped, practically single-handedly, lead the Devils to a playoff berth. He will have much more help this season as New Jersey have added first-overall pick Jack Hughes to the team as well as star defenseman P.K. Subban and KHL star Nikita Gusev.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers were able to sign second-line center Kevin Hayes this offseason, but there were many who wondered whether Hayes would choose to sign with Philadelphia after the team hired head coach Alain Vigneault this summer. Vigneault, who coached Hayes with the Rangers, was known to limit Hayes’ playing time on the power play. However, Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi writes that Hayes said that Vigneault was one of the main reasons why he signed in Philadelphia. “I had a great relationship with AV,” said Hayes. “Obviously as a player, you want to play the most minutes and you want to play in every situation. But when I entered the league, you have to prove yourself, and I thought every year with AV, I got more and more ice time and more and more situational play. We had a fine relationship, to be honest, off the ice and on the ice.”
  • Newsday’s Andrew Gross writes that New York Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss said he doesn’t know how much playing time he will get this year as the backup behind recently signed Semyon Varlamov. “I have no clue what happens,” Greiss said when asked whether he expected to split time with Varlamov. “It depends what’s happening on the ice. If you play well, you’ll get the ice time. If you don’t play well, then we’ll see you on the bench.” Despite quite a bit of attention that was geared towards Robin Lehner last year, Greiss had an impressive season as well. He played 43 games with a 2.28 GAA and a .927 save percentage, but only made one appearance in the playoffs. Varlamov was signed to a four-year, $20MM deal and will likely be expected to carry the load. However, with Varlamov’s injury history, Greiss might get plenty of playing time.

Rangers Acquire Jacob Trouba

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The Rangers have made a big splash on the back end, announcing that they have acquired defenseman Jacob Trouba from the Jets.  Going the other way is defenseman Neal Pionk as well as the 20th overall pick in this week’s draft which had been previously acquired from Winnipeg as part of the Kevin Hayes trade.

Trouba is coming off a career year that saw him collect 50 points (8-42-50) while averaging just shy of 23 minutes per game in the regular season.   Despite that, there was an expectation that a trade was likely.  The 25-year-old held out back in 2016 and had requested a trade at that time before rescinding his request when he signed in November.  Even with that, it was believed that he remained hesitant to commit to them long-term, especially after he opted to go through the arbitration process last summer.

It will now be up to Rangers GM Jeff Gorton to get Trouba to commit.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes (Twitter link) that Winnipeg did not grant New York permission to speak to the blueliner about a new deal before the trade was made.

Trouba must be tendered a $5.5MM qualifying offer later this month, one that they will clearly make.  It will take considerably more for him to forego testing unrestricted free agency in July 2020 so a long-term deal could approach the $7MM-$8MM mark when all is said and done.  That’s a price tag that the Rangers are likely willing to pay as he slots in as their top defenseman right away.

As for Pionk, the Jets are adding a capable blueliner but one that doesn’t have a lot of NHL experience.  After signing as an undrafted free agent in 2017, he made it to the NHL midway through 2017-18 and played his first full campaign this past season.  He fared pretty well, collecting 26 points in 73 games while averaging over 21 minutes a night.  That should allow him to step into a prominent role fairly quickly with his new team.

Like Trouba, Pionk is a restricted free agent this summer and is eligible for salary arbitration.  Unlike Trouba, he won’t be commanding a massive salary given his relative inexperience.  That is notable considering the team still has to sign restricted free agent wingers Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor, as well as UFA defenseman Tyler Myers, whose return is much more of a legitimate possibility as a result of this swap.  While it wouldn’t be directly tied to this move, Myers could essentially be a part of this trade if he re-signs as it wouldn’t have been possible without Trouba moving first.

With Erik Karlsson and now Trouba off the market (and Myers potentially following suit), the market for right-shot defensemen has drastically been altered in a hurry.  With a lack of impact free agent defenders available, expect trade talks to pick up around the league in the coming days.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agency Notes: Edler, Hayes, Pavelski, Krug

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When Alex Edler asked Vancouver not to move him at the NHL Trade Deadline, many assumed it was precursor to an extension between the long-time Canuck and his team. Yet, as the weeks have passed and no resolution has emerged, that expectation grew less and less certain. Now, after a month or so of reports that term and expansion protection were coming between the two sides, it seems the deal is dead and Edler will hit the open market. Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that it does not sound like the Canucks and Edler will get a deal done by July 1st. This does not entirely rule out a return to Vancouver, but it will be substantially harder to convince him to come back after he’s tested the waters and likely found teams willing to give him the desired term and No-Movement Clause. This especially rings true today, as Erik Karlsson’s extension leaves a thin defense market even weaker and D-needy teams will have little choice but to meet the demands of Edler and fellow top free agents like Jake Gardiner and Tyler Myers. It would not be surprise to now see Vancouver make a hard push for one of those two as well, as they seek an upgrade on the blue line but were not willing to give the 33-year-old Edler a long-term deal or risk losing young players to protect an aging veteran in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft.

  • It’s been a roller coaster of reports on Kevin Hayes since the moment his negotiating rights were acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers from the Winnipeg Jets. The Flyers obviously became the favorite to sign the free agent center given their early access, but there have since been reports followed by other conflicting reports about how talks have been going between the two sides. Finally, trusted Flyers source Frank Seravalli of TSN has chimed in and he has only good news for Philly fans. Seravalli reports that the two sides have made good progress and that talks are trending toward a contract. He stops short of guaranteeing a deal gets done, but believes that it will. This would remove yet another major name from the free agent market, following Karlsson, Jeff Skinner, and Jordan Eberle. And like those three, reports of a deal being close have so far been proven true this off-season.
  • The sheer magnitude of Karlsson’s new contract with the Sharks has surprised many and has reinforced the narrative that San Jose will have to lose other key free agents to re-sign the talented defenseman. While he wouldn’t speak specifically about talks with those players, GM Doug Wilson did warn not to make assumptions when asked about Joe Pavelski, per The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz. Wilson says that nothing has been ruled out, making a Pavelski return a possibility. He also spoke to the importance of getting Karlsson under contract “well before July 1st”, specifically so that the team can plan around their new salary cap paradigm. It still remains a long-shot barring trades to remove salary from the current roster, but until Pavelski, a career Shark, puts pen to paper elsewhere, he remains a possibility for San Jose.
  • Boston defenseman Torey Krug will not be a free agent until next summer, but he has already proven that he is worth a significant raise in his next contract. The Bruins’ power play magician is fifth among all NHL defensemen in regular season scoring over the past three years and second only to Erik Karlsson in playoff scoring. Karlsson’s new extension, along with the contracts of players like John Carlson and Victor Hedman, raise the bar for what Krug might be looking for in his next deal. Even though he has some struggles defensively, it is fair to assume that his current $5.25MM cap hit will not cut it. This leaves the Bruins in a difficult spot, as they must first re-sign elite young defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo this summer. Those moves will leave Boston with little cap space this off-season and not much more the following year when Krug needs a new contract. Yet, speaking with the media today, GM Don Sweeney made it clear that his intent is not to trade the mobile defender, nor to let him leave after next season:

If somebody blew us away (with a trade offer for Krug), every player has to be looked at in that way. When you’re an organization, you just have to, you’re doing a disservice if you don’t. But it would take a pretty unique opportunity for us to part with Torey. We think he’s a big part of the fabric of our group. He’s kind of that next wave of leadership that we talk about.

Metropolitan Notes: Available Draft Picks, Hayes, Orpik, Burakovsky

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With the NHL Entry Draft fast approaching later this week, there are plenty of teams looking to make trades or even better, looking to move up in the draft, especially in the first round. The trick is finding a team who would be willing to move their first-round selection.

The Athletic’s Craig Custance (subscription required) looks at the entire first round and identifies team that might be open to trading their first-round pick and it doesn’t take long to notice that there are plenty of Metropolitan Division teams on his list of teams. The New York Rangers, already picking at the No. 2 position, also have the 20th pick in the draft, acquired from Winnipeg for Kevin Hayes, and might be willing to move that to further hasten their rebuild. In fact, it’s already been rumored to be sent back to Winnipeg as part of a package to acquire Jacob Trouba. The Philadelphia Flyers could be a team that might be willing to move the 11th overall pick as they are also looking to make changes to get them back into the playoff discussion.

Custance adds that you can’t count out either Pittsburgh (#21) or Carolina (#28) as well. The Penguins might be more open to moving the pick as they want to get one more chance at the title before the Sidney Crosby era ends, while Carolina wants to continue with the success they had last year and wants to continually build its core.

  • NHL.com’s Bill Meltzer writes that the Philadelphia Flyers are still working on a new contract for Hayes, according to general manager Chuck Fletcher. The team traded a fifth-round pick to acquire Hayes’ rights recently in hopes they could begin negotiating early and convince him to sign before other teams could be allowed to speak to him. “We’ve had some very good, constructive dialogue with Kevin. We’re continuing to work with his representation. We’ll see how things play out, but so far it’s been a positive process,” Fletcher said.
  • NBC Sports’ J.J. Regan writes that when the Washington Capitals acquired Radko Gudas from Philadelphia for Matt Niskanen, it likely ended the team’s relationship with veteran Brooks Orpik as well. The Capitals already had six defensemen under contract and restricted free agent Christian Djoos would make seven once they re-sign him. That would make Orpik the team’s eighth defenseman and with plenty of cap issues, it would be highly unlikely the team would consider bringing him back. Orpik said he would decide later this offseason whether he would retire or come back for one more year, but if he does want to come back, it’s likely going to be with another team.
  • NBC Sports’ James O’Brien also adds that with the signing of Carl Hagelin to a new four-year extension, that leaves little money left for the rest of their roster. The team already has committed $72.26MM committed to 17 players, leaving them with approximately $10.7MM in cap space to fill out their roster, assuming the salary cap will be set at $83MM this year, which is not a certainty. The team still has a number of key unsigned players, included unrestricted free agent Brett Connolly and restricted free agents Jakub Vrana and Andre Burakovsky. O’Brien wonders whether the Hagelin deal could mean the team considers moving Burakovsky’s rights. The Capitals and Burakovsky have had issues with each other at times, but the 24-year-old might be worth something as he still has quite a bit of talent left in him.

Free Agent Focus: Philadelphia Flyers

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Free agency is now less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  The Flyers have a number of both restricted and unrestricted and will likely have to use quite a bit of their cap space to lock up all of them in the coming weeks.

Key Restricted Free Agents: D Ivan Provorov — Only a year ago, Provorov’s name was being bandied about as one of the top young defensemen in the league and while that hasn’t necessarily changed, Provorov struggled in his third season. After tallying 17 goals in 2017-18, the 22-year-old saw those numbers drop to just seven goals this season and pick up a career-low 26 points and saw his defense take a step back. The team expects Provorov to have a bounce-back season, but have already gone out and added Matt Niskanen, who is expected to be paired with Provorov next season to give him a veteran partner in hopes of developing him into the franchise defenseman they believe he is. The one thing that has been consistent is how much the Flyers have been using him as he played a career-high 25:07 in ATOI. Provorov should get a significant raise from the $1.74MM he made last year.

F Travis Konecny — After scoring 48 goals over the past two seasons, Konecny is expected to score a big raise. The 22-year-old put up almost the exact same number two years ago and has proven to be a valuable piece in the team’s top-six. On top of that, Konecny has shown himself to be an agitator on the ice (despite his smaller frame) which became even more apparent after the team traded away Wayne Simmonds at the trade deadline. Considering how young he is, the team may want to sign him to a long-term deal now in hopes that he continues to improve and get better as all signs suggest he could become a top-line scorer for the franchise. He made $1.1MM last season, but should get quite a bit more.

D Travis Sanheim — After a solid rookie season, Sanheim took his game up a notch in his first full year as he played all 82 games, averaging 19:34 minutes on the ice and nine goals and 35 points, suggesting that the first-round pick from 2014 is finally developing into the top-four blueliner that the team had hoped. You could make the case that he was the most improved player on the team last year. After making $1.26MM last season, however, the 23-year-old should get a significant raise as well.

Other RFAs: F Nicolas Aube-Kubel, F Justin Bailey, D Jacob Graves, F Ryan Hartman, F Scott Laughton

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Kevin Hayes — Hayes hasn’t played a game for Philadelphia ever, but he might be the most significant of their free agents. The team sent Winnipeg a fifth-round pick to acquire Hayes’ rights, a rare move by teams, with the hope that they could begin negotiating with Hayes now and convince him to sign a deal before other teams can begin communicating with him. The 27-year-old has been a solid centerman for two seasons now with the New York Rangers. However, when the Rangers decided he wasn’t a part of the team’s long-term plans, they traded him to Winnipeg. Hayes didn’t have the effect on the Jets’ second line that they had hoped and were happy to get something for Hayes’ rights. Regardless, the Flyers need a second-line center to take over for the next couple of years until Nolan Patrick is ready to move into that role. However, with rumors that Hayes could be asking for $7MM or more, that’s a steep price and so far the Flyers haven’t had much luck in getting Hayes to sign early.

G Cam Talbot — There are a number of goaltenders on the team hitting unrestricted free agency, but what the team is looking for is a veteran goaltender that can help mentor young star Carter Hart. Talbot could be that top candidate as the 31-year-old was acquired at the trade deadline in hopes he could be that guy. Unfortunately he struggled in four appearances, but he remains a candidate to be brought back, especially at a heavily discounted price, although the team could just as easily find another player to fill those shoes.

Other UFAs: F Cole Bardreau, F Greg Carey, G Brian Elliott, F Byron Froese, F Tyrell Goulbourne, G Mike McKenna, G Michal Neuvirth, F Phil Varone, F Mike Vecchione

Projected Cap Space: With a little more than $49MM in commitments for next season (per CapFriendly), the team has plenty of money to make changes and moves. With a cupboard of top prospects fast approaching and a number of tradeable players, the Flyers are likely to look quite differently. However, much of the team’s success this summer will be in trying to find a second-line center. The team still hopes it can be Hayes, but if not, the Flyers will have to find another candidate either through free agency or trade. Regardless, some of that $33.8MM in projected cap space will have to go to their young restricted free agents and hopefully, they can lock all of them up to long-term deals now, but there are lots of possibilities in Philadelphia this season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rangers, Islanders, Devils Interested In Winnipeg’s Jacob Trouba

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While there are rumored to be many teams that have expressed interest in Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba, the New York area could be his eventual destination as the New York Rangers, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils have been the most aggressive teams in pursuit of the young defenseman, according to the New York Post’s Larry Brooks.

Each team could truly use the 25-year-old Trouba, who hasn’t expressed any desire to sign a long-term deal with the Jets, and with him being one year away from unrestricted free agency, the Jets are expected to move the talented blueliner. However, Brooks writes that he’s heard from multiple sources that Winnipeg has not given permission to inquiring clubs to speak with Trouba’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, about a long-term contract, which could run as high as seven years and $7.5MM.

All three teams, however, would have the cap room to make a commitment to Trouba with all three teams having the assets to make a deal happen, although the price is expected to be costly. The Jets are reportedly asking for a first-round pick and two top prospects or two young NHL players, likely signed to low-cost contracts. That is likely to be exactly what they’ll get as Trouba, a 6-foot-3, 202-pound blueliner had a breakout season offensively with a career high 50 points last season, including 42 assists, which was ninth in the league for defensemen.

The Rangers already have the Jets’ first-round pick in next week’s draft (#20 overall), acquired in the Kevin Hayes trade, and could offer a significant package, according to Brooks, including restricted free agent Pavel Buchnevich and a prospect. However, that might not be enough as both the Islanders and Devils have quite a few prospects in their own system. That brings to question whether the Rangers might consider including Lias Andersson as part of their package to acquire Trouba. Would the Islanders consider moving defensie prospect Noah Dobson or would the Devils include Jesper Boqvist or Jesper Bratt in a deal?

 

Free Agent Focus: New York Rangers

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Free agency is now less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  The Rangers have a lot of options when it comes to the upcoming free agency period, but don’t have as much to concern themselves with when it comes to their own free agents. New York does have a few restricted free agents they must worry about, but few players to concern themselves among unrestricted free agents.

Key Restricted Free Agents: F Pavel Buchnevich — The Rangers must be thrilled with the continued improvements of their 24-year-old forward, who has continually taken his game up a notch in all three years, scoring eight goals as a rookie, 14 goals last season and moving into a permanent top-six role in 2018-19 with a 21-goal campaign. That number was more impressive considering he only played 64 games due to a broken thumb and some issues with head coach David Quinn, although he eventually developed a solid relationship with the coach. His 15:10 ATOI was lower than a number of lesser forwards as he ranked ninth in that area among forwards, but should increase significantly next season. Now that his entry-level deal is up, New York must pay him significantly more than the $925K he was previously making. However, with his development, it’s more likely the team will seek a bridge deal in hopes that his progress continues to improve.

F Brendan Lemieux — The Rangers didn’t get a lot of time to evaluate Lemieux, who the team acquired at the trade deadline as part of the Kevin Hayes trade. While not a key piece to the deal, New York hoped that the 23-year-old would give them a key bottom-six winger for a number of years as he had proved to be an agitator in his 53 games played in Winnipeg. Lemieux started his tenure in New York off well as he provided that grit the team needed, but after averaging 7:25 of ATOI with the Jets, his minutes jumped to 12:50 with the Rangers, and he quickly wore down, suggesting he lacked conditioning. In 19 games, he accumulated six points, 64 penalty minutes and two misconducts, which is a lot of penalties. Regardless, it’s likely the Rangers will seek a short-term deal so that Lemieux can prove himself.

D Neal Pionk — After showing off impressive skills in a trial during the 2017-18 season, the 23-year-old blueliner didn’t fare as well in his first full season with the Rangers. Pionk finished the season with six goals and 26 points but also saw his plus/minus drop to minus-16, but found himself in Quinn’s doghouse quite often in the second half of the season and was often a healthy scratch as he tallied just one point and seven points in his final 37 games. With a number of young defenseman close to ready for a regular NHL role, general manager Jeff Gorton will have to decide whether Pionk should stay with the defense or whether the team should move on from him. Expect him to get a short-term or even more likely a one-year deal on a “prove it” contract.

Other RFAs: D Julius Bergman, D Chris Bigras, D Fredrik Claesson, D Anthony DeAngelo, G Brandon Halverson, F Vinni Lettieri, G Chris Nell

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: D John Gilmour — Yes, Gilmour, who played a total of five games for the Rangers this past year, is the team’s top unrestricted free agent. The Group 6 free agent played 28 games during the 2017-18 season, but found himself playing a full season for the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL where he dominated, scoring 20 goals and 54 points and was named to the AHL All-Star team. However, he has been passed over on the prospect chart by Ryan Lindgren and Libor Hajek and doesn’t seem to be a major part of the team’s long-range plans although he could be a cheap 6/7th defensive option for the Rangers if they want a low-cost option.

Other UFAs: F Connor Brickley, D Rob O’Gara, G Dustin Tokarski

Projected Cap Space: With a little less than $64MM in commitments for next season (per CapFriendly), the team has room to make changes, but it’s unlikely the team will make any long-term commitments in house this offseason. The team is far more likely to go with multiple short-term deals and focus on fast-tracking their rebuilding efforts as they will likely attempt to bring in a top free agent to supplement its young players.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kevin Hayes Visits With Philadelphia Flyers

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Since acquiring the exclusive negotiating rights of Kevin Hayes earlier this month, the Philadelphia Flyers have had some preliminary conversations with the pending free agent on a potential contract. Yesterday, Hayes actually met with the Flyers in person and according to Frank Seravalli of TSN was impressed with his visit. Still, Seravalli reports that Philadelphia “isn’t No. 1″ on the veteran center’s list, and notes that the Columbus Blue Jackets and Arizona Coyotes might be of interest.

Hayes, 27, was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets for a fifth-round pick in order to give Philadelphia a head start on contract negotiations. It’s not the first time that Hayes might be intrigued by the idea of free agency however, as he decided not to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks out of college despite the team spending a first-round selection on him in 2010. The Boston College alum decided to sign with the New York Rangers instead, and played the first four and a half seasons of his pro career there before a mid-season trade took him to Winnipeg in February.

There are plenty of reasons why the Flyers would be interested, given that Hayes is coming off his best offensive season. The 6’5” center recorded 54 points in 71 games, though failed to crack the 20-goal mark once again. He has done so in just one of his NHL seasons, something of a red flag for a team expecting him to contribute big numbers at even strength. Still, his size and two-way ability make him a desirable asset for pretty much anyone looking for depth down the middle, something Philadelphia could use if Claude Giroux is going to stay on the wing.

As one of the younger players available this summer, there will be no shortage of suitors for Hayes. The Blue Jackets would make sense if Matt Duchene departs in free agency, while the Coyotes have been trying to find consistent production at the center position for years. Both teams also have former teammates of Hayes from New York involved in some way. Derek Stepan is a leader in the Arizona locker room, while Rick Nash has been working with Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen for the last while.

Avalanche Notes: Hayes, No. 4 Pick, Knight

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The Colorado Avalanche made history on this day in 1996, winning the Stanley Cup in their inaugural season after moving to Denver. The eight-seed Avs came surprisingly close to getting back the Cup Final this year, upsetting the Calgary Flames in the first round and taking the San Jose Sharks to Game Seven in the second round. Colorado is closer to being a legitimate contender than some may have thought and are hoping to add some veteran pieces this off-season to improve their odds. GM Joe Sakic, a member of that ’96 team, is planning to be aggressive this summer, but his plan took an unexpected early hit when the Philadelphia Flyers acquired the negotiating rights of Kevin Hayes, expected to be one of Colorado’s top targets.

However, it’s already been a week since that trade was made and the Flyers and Hayes have not come to terms on a new contract. Talks are still reportedly progressing, but there’s less certainty that Hayes will end up signing with the team. In fact, BSN Denver’s AJ Haefele states that talks may not be going as well as Philadelphia would like fans to think, after surrendering a draft pick for the right to negotiate with Hayes. Haefele says that “things with Hayes and Philly haven’t really gone great so far”, adding that there’s still optimism but the clock is ticking toward the opening of free agency. If Hayes doesn’t come to terms with the Flyers and hits the open market, the Avalanche would have to be considered the favorite to land the two-way center given the many sources that have linked the two sides.

  • Haefele had another intriguing note for Avs fans tonight regarding the first of the team’s two first round picks, the No. 4 overall selection. Haefele believes, based on discussions with several sources, that Colorado will be targeting a forward with the pick, and that’s regardless of whether or not Bowen Byram is available. Byram, the top defenseman in the draft by a wide margin, is considered by many to perhaps be the third-best prospect overall. However, given the considerable draft capital that the Chicago Blackhawks have used on defensemen in recent years, they may pass on Byram at No. 3. It seems the Avalanche would do the same, opting to focus on their need for secondary scoring rather than adding a top young defenseman, with Cale Makar and Conor Timmins already in the fold. This should come as good new for the Los Angeles Kings, who could desperately use a blue chip defensive prospect. As for the Avs, Dylan Cozens, Trevor Zegras, and Kirby Dach are among the top forward prospects who could be available in this scenario.
  • There were clues to Colorado’s focus on a forward with their first pick before Haefele’s report, too. The team was curiously one of the few not to interview a number of projected late first-round forwards at the NHL Scouting Combine, leading many to assume that they would target a forward early and look elsewhere with their second pick, No. 16. The other explanation is that the Avalanche have already zeroed in one one specific player for that slot: top goaltender Spencer Knight. Although many are in agreement that Knight is a first-round caliber goalie, it’s easier for a team to stomach selecting a keeper that early if they have two picks in the round. Colorado is just one of five teams to pick twice in the first round this year, but they are the first team to use their second pick. Barring an unforeseen selection by a lottery team, the Avs could get ahead of the rest of the pack by selecting Knight at No. 16 and adding their goalie of the future. This is far from a guarantee, but certainly an idea that carries some merit.

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