Penguins trade for Kevin Hayes

The Penguins have acquired forward Kevin Hayes from the St. Louis Blues.

Pittsburgh also gets a bounty of a 2025 second round pick and only gave up “future considerations” (also known as: nothing) to add Hayes. Hayes, 32, has two more years remaining on a contract that carries a $3.57 million salary cap hit.

It’s a curious move by the Pens, who are operating with limited cap space in the first place. Hayes only scored 13 goals and 29 points in 79 games with the Blues last season and has been slowing down big time as of late.

Hayes did score 54 points two seasons ago with the Flyers, and the Penguins are perhaps hoping that getting him out of STL might help him re-find form. If nothing else, he’s a short term add and will bring in a future draft pick while the Pens play out the next couple of seasons as they look to reload.

The biggest part of this trade could be what it sets up in the future. This move reeks of a precursor for Pittsburgh moving a salary in the coming days, weeks (hell, maybe in the next few minutes and hours) to send out a player like Reilly Smith to get more breathing room on the salary cap.

Just taken as a single move, acquiring Hayes doesn’t seem to fit or add up to pick up a salary dump of a veteran player. But in the broad context of what is to come, this move might make a little more sense if/when other pieces start sliding around the board.