Flyers' Kevin Hayes Market Heating Up With 3 Teams Interested

As the Philadelphia Flyers try to rebuild/retool and sell at the 2023 trade deadline, the market for Kevin Hayes has really started to heat up over the past 24-48 hours according to Frank Seravalli. The Flyers are willing to retain salary on Hayes to make a deal easier to pull off and to get more in a return. He has three years left on his deal at $7.142 million AAV and he has been very good this season.

Hayes was the Flyers' All-Star representative and he is up to 17 goals and 48 points on the season. He is second on the team in goals and points and as he has played everywhere from the first line to the third line to even being a healthy scratch, his time remaining in Philadelphia is short. He and head coach John Tortorella don't seem to get along and now that Hayes' contract has turned to a modified 12-team no-trade clause this season, he is easier to move.

The market for a top-six centerman is hot as there are more than a couple of teams looking for a player just like Hayes. Seravalli named the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, and Minnesota Wild, all who appear to be playoff-bound. The Avalanche and Wild are in a dogfight in the West for not only a top three spot in their division, but for the Western Conference lead as well. The Hurricanes appear destined to finish first in their division and second in the conference, but have a big hole to fill in their top-six.

The Wild are in the most dire need of a centerman like Hayes, and at a reduced price considering the cap trouble they are in for two more seasons. Knowing that the Flyers would retain some of Hayes' salary for the remaining three years can get the Wild through these tough years and continue to be competitive. How Hayes' has performed this season, he could slide into the top line in Minnesota between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello.

The Avalanche have been linked to a second line center all season after Nazem Kadri left in the offseason and nobody has been able to firmly assume the role. Hayes would be able to come in and play with some very good players and shore up that spot until Alex Newhook is ready.

The Hurricanes have the cap space after Max Pacioretty suffered a season-ending injury and have a big need on their second line as well between Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas. Those two have been great this season despite the lack of production from whichever player has centered them. Neither Jesperi Kotkaniemi nor Paul Stastny have done a particularly good job in that role and are better suited for the bottom-six. Hayes seems destined for one of these three teams while having a cap hit of around $5 million AAV.