The trade involving Kevin Hayes to St. Louis is finally complete. But it is far from the original blockbuster framework that was initially reported.
Hayes heads to the Blues in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick. The Flyers are retaining half of the salary on Hayes’ contract, which has three years remaining at $7.14 million AAV.
The return in any deal for Hayes alone was going to be underwhelming. The Flyers lacked leverage in a trade without adding a sweetener. Once the framework of the reported deal fell through, with Torey Krug opting to exercise his no-move clause in his contract, the inclusion of Travis Sanheim in the deal was no longer in play. That also took the potential first-round pick from the Blues out of play as well.
Hayes played four seasons with the Flyers. In 253 career games, he scored 63 goals and 157 points. He had 18 goals and 54 points in 81 games last season and was named an All-Star.
In addition to Hayes, the Flyers are still awaiting a resolution to the pending Tony DeAngelo trade with Carolina. According to language in the league CBA, that trade cannot be finalized until July 8, one year following the initial trade of DeAngelo to Philadelphia.
The Flyers are also reportedly still exploring potential options for other moves, including Sanheim and Scott Laughton.
More to come as the NHL Draft approaches and the Flyers continue to be hard at work shaping the roster for the future.
