Penguins' Kevin Hayes More Excited After Tough Year

The Penguins' newest center is eager to join his team and carve out a role.

Mar 4, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Kevin Hayes (12) celebrates his goal with defenseman Torey Krug (47) and defenseman Marco Scandella (6) against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Penguins aren't the championship contenders they once were. With a core of aging superstars, the franchise has taken their foot off the gas and gone from an all-in mentality to having an eye towards the future.

That doesn't mean that they don't want to compete in the waning years of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. That's why they acquired forward Kevin Hayes from the St. Louis Blues, to give their top centers a reliable third center option or a potential top-six winger.

Hayes joins the Penguins after a difficult season with the Blues. Over his career he's been a 15-25 goal scorer annually, but slumped through a 13-goal season in 2023. It was clear that he and the Blues weren't a great match, and the team gave up a future second-round pick to entice the Penguins to take Hayes. Speaking to the team's media in a zoom session, Hayes discussed what went wrong in St. Louis.

"I felt like last year, I couldn't really find a role in St. Louis to play my best hockey," he said. "I don't want to say they were going into a rebuild, because I don't think they are, and I know when that was said last year, the guys in the locker room didn't really appreciate it. I just didn't really fit into their plan, I guess."

He fits into the plans in Pittsburgh, however. The Penguins are excited about what Hayes brings to their team, and it's clear that the 32-year-old veteran is relishing this new opportunity. He doesn't have a preference on playing a particular position or role, but he is eager to find out where the team envisions using him.

"I kind of like the responsibility and being able to generate speed from the lower end of the ice to get me going up the ice," he said. "I'm comfortable playing both center and wing. I think I'll be playing with some elite players to start the season, so I don't really care where I'll be playing."

Over his career, Hayes has amassed 168 goals over 713 NHL games. He's recorded two seasons of 23 goals or more, and has never scored less than his career low of 13 last season. For a Penguins team in need of secondary scoring options behind their dynamic duo, Hayes is a huge upgrade. For Hayes, the Pens give him another opportunity to prove he can still contribute to a winning organization.

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