Confirmed with Link: [PHI/WPG] Kevin Hayes UFA rights for a 2019 5th

[bobbythebrain]

I don't hate it. He's big and can play C and wing

Bozak was considered a vanilla C also, but that move is paying off in spades for St Louis. Hayes as a stop gap middle 6 C is a good move. He provides solid defense also, which only helps Hart

Now the contract.

 

[Rebels57]

In an attempt to make everyone feel better, Boston signed David Backes to a 5 year $30 million contract back in 2016, and he was 32 at the time. He hasnt lived up to it but it hasnt held Boston back either.

So theres that.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

I'd feel much better if this wasn't a precursor to a trade using the 11th overall or Gostisbehere. In a vacuum, I could tolerate this.

I really wish you didn't think this too. This makes so much more sense if Fletcher needs a number going into 7/1.

*Edit* Welcome back @hatcher

 

[deadhead]

It's very possible that at the end of TC we have;

Giroux - Couts - Voracek
Lindblom - Patrick- TK
JVR - Frost - Hayes

That's the advantage of Hayes, the flexibility of moving people around.
And Farabee could start on the 4th line at some point b/c he has the skill and mentalite to make that work (he'll forecheck and play defense).

It all comes down to term and NMC, if we have to protect Hayes in the ED at the expense of a young player, Fletcher screwed the pooch.

 

[SnS]

Kevin Hayes the last three seasons:
54 points / 40 ES
44 points / 34 ES
49 points / 36 ES

Flyers need a center, people don't want to give up any of the prospects or the 11th pick to upgrade the team. Flyers give up a fifth round pick to (likely) secure Hayes long before 7/1 and be able to move on with filling other needs, people lose their mind and complain

Because he is not worth 6million or more for 6 years.

 

[The Madrigal]

Except who was our #3C and #3LW when TK was demoted?

In the end, we want AND SHOULD HAVE 3 lines that can score.

JVR and Bozak played on the Leafs 3rd line and produced. In the end, it's up to Patrick to prove he is without a doubt better than Hayes now and take that icetime from him.

Like it or not, but if Patrick had done that this year, we wouldn't have gone after Hayes.

People get too caught up in labeling lines. This isn't the 90's anymore where every team had checking line as their 3rd. Pretty much every team has three scoring lines and a fourth line. There is absolutely plenty of opportunity for both Hayes and Patrick to be 50 point centers for this team and there is nothing wrong with that at all. This doesn't negatively effect Patrick at all, it just takes the pressure off of him a bit if anything.

Who it effects is Laughton is now clearly the fourth line center where he should be, and Frost who is either starting his career at wing, starting in the AHL, or used a trade piece to land a top four D.

 

[46zone]

Ya know how feel when your team makes a trade and you’re pumped and brimming with optimism...
I’m here shaking my head on this one!
Fourth organization for this dude in his short NHL career!
I just don’t get it!...

You don't get that there's usually a market for productive middle 6 centers?

 

[Starat327]

I really wish you didn't think this too. This makes so much more sense if Fletcher needs a number going into 7/1.

*Edit* Welcome back @hatcher

You're ruining my craft beer, in both senses. Kindly refrain, good sir.

 

[bobbythebrain]

Also, if him and Vora are on the same line, that is gonna be a possession nightmare for the other teams D.

JVR-Hayes-Vora

 

[MacDonald4MVP]

If we are gonna waste money on someone like him we would he better of spending it on someone with legit upside like karlsson, Duchene or breadman. If we are going after middle tier guys hopefully we sign zuccarello next and have him feed that big clumsy oaf Hayes just like he did with rags.

 

[Starat327]

Also, if him and Vora are on the same line, that is gonna be a possession nightmare for the other teams D.

JVR-Hayes-Vora

JVR is a good way to rebalance that possession.

 

[baudib1]

This is a mediocre move that will be an albatross contract within a few years. It has all the hallmarks of a bad UFA signing -- ordinary player coming off a career year. He adds veteraniness and size and not much else.

The problem, as alluded to by Magua, is that this sorta points to a second mid-level move. We're close to being shut out of the big market for guys like Panarin or Karlsson, not just this offseason but next as well. If Fletcher manages to rip off Fenton for Spurgeon and Zucker, fine. If it leads to $6-$8M a year for Trouba or a Stralman then it's pretty bad. And yeah it could be worse than that (Hello Dan Girardi).

It's a veteran guy AV is familiar with, so just assume he'll be overused and we can forget about transitioning to a young, faster team for oh the next half-decade.

 

[deadhead]

I'd rather go 5x6 for Hayes than 7x10 for Duchene.
Prices are going up a bit, but Duchene isn't worth a 1C deal.
Worse case is we move Hayes in 3 years with some salary attached or take a bad contract.

 

[tictactoe]

Who it effects is Laughton is now clearly the fourth line center where he should be, and Frost who is either starting his career at wing, starting in the AHL, or used a trade piece to land a top four D.

We better not trade Frost

Also, if him and Vora are on the same line, that is gonna be a possession nightmare for the other teams D.

JVR-Hayes-Vora

Someone like Marchand will pound this line into submission ... by himself.

 

[Striiker]

Except who was our #3C and #3LW when TK was demoted?

In the end, we want AND SHOULD HAVE 3 lines that can score.

JVR and Bozak played on the Leafs 3rd line and produced. In the end, it's up to Patrick to prove he is without a doubt better than Hayes now and take that icetime from him.

Like it or not, but if Patrick had done that this year, we wouldn't have gone after Hayes.

This move could easily become what prevents us from having 3 lines that can score.

Blocking youth, adding an overpaid player... this is the kind of shit people come up with on here when they’re too shortsighted see past young players inconsistencies.

Patrick is getting the Couturier treatment now and we saw what Couturier needed to finally become the point producer he is today.

And like I said before, this whole garbage about Patrick “taking icetime”... we know that’s not a real concept. You don’t get what you deserve, you get what the coach gives you.

 

[deadhead]

I don't hate it. He's big and can play C and wing

Bozak was considered a vanilla C also, but that move is paying off in spades for St Louis. Hayes as a stop gap middle 6 C is a good move. He provides solid defense also, which only helps Hart

Now the contract.

Bozak was 3x5 at 32.
Now Neal was an awful deal at 31, the bullet we missed with Simmonds.
Hayes will be 27, unless he falls off the cliff he should at least be a serviceable 3C/3RW for a few years, an overpay but not AMac useless.

 

[The Madrigal]

Because he is not worth 6million or more for 6 years.

Well then you have to be willing to trade the 11th overall pick, Ghost, Frost, Farabee, etc to get a center. You can't have it both ways. Not sure if you are one of those guys who wants to keep every prospect and high pick so if you aren't this isn't directed at you. A lot of people will complain about overpaying for Hayes but they are the same people unwilling to give up anything of value to improve the team.

You trade off the over payment for a free agent by not having to give up high end assets to trade for a player on a bargain deal like Kadri with three years/4.5 million aav. The Flyers have tons of cap space and they felt it was better to go in that direction. Also, Hayes is a good player, I'd rather give someone like him 6/6 than give a fourth liner like Jay Beagle 3 million a year for four years.

 

[Tripod]

JVR is a good way to rebalance that possession.

Well with 2 passers, maybe JVR has a great year.

With Hayes, we are a better/deeper team. It's his contract that I will hate in amount and term.

 

[deadhead]

This move could easily become what prevents us from having 3 lines that can score.

Blocking youth, adding an overpaid player... this is the kind of **** people come up with on here when they’re too shortsighted see past young players inconsistencies.

Patrick is getting the Couturier treatment now and we saw what Couturier needed to finally become the point producer he is today.

Couts would have gotten there earlier if he stayed healthy, he had two dinged up seasons before he broke out.

Patrick was the #2 pick, if he steps up, he's going to play ahead of Hayes at 2C no matter what we pay Hayes.
Hayes is not going to block anyone unless Allison and Laczynski sign and turn into 20+ goal scoring RWs!
He'll just get moved around to make room for Patrick and Frost if they are the players we hope they become.

 

[FlyerNutter]

It’s a move that’s rightfully raising a few eyebrows.

It’s has the potential to go either way really.

Count me as a pessimist but usually if that’s the vibe, in life it tends to go badly. Hopefully he proves me wrong.

 

[SnS]

Well then you have to be willing to trade the 11th overall pick, Ghost, Frost, Farabee, etc to get a center. You can't have it both ways. Not sure if you are one of those guys who wants to keep every prospect and high pick so if you aren't this isn't directed at you. A lot of people will complain about overpaying for Hayes but they are the same people unwilling to give up anything of value to improve the team.

You trade off the over payment for a free agent by not having to give up high end assets to trade for a player on a bargain deal like Kadri with three years/4.5 million aav. The Flyers have tons of cap space and they felt it was better to go in that direction. Also, Hayes is a good player, I'd rather give someone like him 6/6 than give a fourth liner like Jay Beagle 3 million a year for four years.

I’ve been fine moving the 11th. I said that from day one. Lmao.

I’d rather have went balls out for Matty D. Than 6x6* for Hayes.

8 = if that’s what it’ll be.

 

[Tripod]

Well...I guess we replaced our long faced player.

paging @Captain Dave Poulin

 

[The Madrigal]

This is a mediocre move that will be an albatross contract within a few years. It has all the hallmarks of a bad UFA signing -- ordinary player coming off a career year. He adds veteraniness and size and not much else.

The problem, as alluded to by Magua, is that this sorta points to a second mid-level move. We're close to being shut out of the big market for guys like Panarin or Karlsson, not just this offseason but next as well. If Fletcher manages to rip off Fenton for Spurgeon and Zucker, fine. If it leads to $6-$8M a year for Trouba or a Stralman then it's pretty bad. And yeah it could be worse than that (Hello Dan Girardi).

It's a veteran guy AV is familiar with, so just assume he'll be overused and we can forget about transitioning to a young, faster team for oh the next half-decade.

Exactly, terrible move. Who needs a 26 year old 50 point center who gets most of his production at ES or SH and also has really good possession numbers. Not only that he gave up a 5th round pick for him which the team is really going to need to possibly fill out the Phantoms 4th line in 2025. What was Fletcher thinking.

 

[flyers0909]

The 5th round pick is whatever I guess and I really don't mind Hayes, it's all going to come down to the contract. The projections are at around 6x6 and I don't see how he comes in at much less than that which is why I'm not a fan.

However, he's been averaging around 40ES points per year the last 3 seasons and has really improved defensively.

 

[baudib1]

It’s a move that’s rightfully raising a few eyebrows.

It’s has the potential to go either way really.

Count me as a pessimist but usually if that’s the vibe, in life it tends to go badly. Hopefully he proves me wrong.

It's a move without much upside frankly. I'd be ecstatic if we sign him for 2 years $7M AAV and pretty annoyed if it's 6 years $6M AAV.

 

[flyersfromquebec]

Seriously I don't get all the overreacting. Hayes is far from a player who cost game or is irrelevant. He is good defensively and that's something I want playing with JVR and Voracek lol. That will be a freaking heavy line. If he sign at 6x6 without NMC or NTC I think Fletcher will have nailed it.

I don't know if it's why he did it but he could be a 2C for the next 3 years and do with Patrick what we did with Couturier. Then he could go on third line.