(Philadelphia) The St. Louis Blues have acquired Philadelphia Flyers center Kevin Hayes for a sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft.
The two teams announced the trade Tuesday, a day before the first round of the NHL Draft. The Flyers are retaining half of Hayes’ $7.14 million a year salary for the next three seasons.
Hayes will provide depth at center for the Blues, who are trying to return to the playoffs. The 31-year-old veteran has played nearly 700 NHL games.
Hayes signed a seven-year, $50 million deal with the Flyers in 2019, becoming a crowd favorite in his four seasons with the team. He scored 23 goals in his first campaign in Philadelphia and was an All-Star selection last season.
Hayes, however, had some run-ins with head coach John Tortorella. He was ruled out for one game and was benched several times because Tortorella didn’t like the 10-year veteran’s level of play.
Hayes’ role could also change as new Flyers general manager Daniel Briere is in rebuilding mode. The latter recently traded defender Ivan Provorov.
Hayes has 155 career goals and 386 points with the New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets and Flyers.
