PHILADELPHIA — Kevin Hayes said in his exit interviews at the end of last season that while he wanted to stay in Philadelphia, he was picking up the message about what part he’d play in the Flyers’ rebuild. On Tuesday, after several days of reports and increased speculation, it was confirmed that he’d play no further role, as the Flyers traded their second-highest-paid player and No. 2 scorer to the St. Louis Blues for a 2024 sixth-round pick.
The Flyers will retain 50% of his salary, totaling $10.71 million spread over three years ($3.57 million average annual value). This is Danny Brière’s second trade in a matter of weeks as general manager of the Flyers as he leads them into what the team has branded a “new era of orange.”
The writing seemed to be on the wall for Hayes’ exit this summer. He appeared to fall out of favor with coach John Tortorella — he was demoted from center to wing, scratched on Dec. 17, and saw his ice time and role massively decrease as the season wore on. In addition to his age (31), Hayes was limiting the Flyers’ chances to build their future with his hefty contract and potentially blocking younger players from ice time.
