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Kevin Hayes Saga and Upcoming Series |
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The legend of Kevin Hayes continues to grow as the pursual of the Free Agent renegade former first rounder is making the media froth for a story at a time where no stories are coming out. Kevin Hayes is the latest in a string of “high profile” NCAA draftees opting out of their option to sign with the respective party that drafted them, to test the waters of free agency...which is perfectly legal to do and guaranteed by the agreement between the NCAA and the NHL, just finish that degree and you can sign with whatever team you want. It’s no secret that Brian Burke in all his over the top bluster, with the TO media who feast on bluster and a hockey media waiting to ridicule said bluster caused the perfect storm of shedding a light on NCAA (and to a lesser extent European) free agents.
Now the high end of this issue comes in the forms of Blake Wheeler and Justin Schultz. Both opted to not sign with their respective drafting teams and tested free agency. Wheeler going to Boston presumably and murkily to play with his one time teammate and friend Phil Kessel who was currently in the Bruins system yet at the University of Minnesota for their rookie years. The two would play together in 2008-2009 for Wheelers rookie season. Schultz going to Edmonton for the chance of top-pairing minutes and the nicest of bonuses. The promise of a rebuilt dynasty wafting in the air.
Both were relatively devastating at least on the surface for the Coyotes and Ducks. Wheeler while never impressive in point totals, always hinted at greater things with his surprising speed and massive size. Schultz, simply couldn’t stop winning awards. Both were considered very strong prospects for long periods of time (despite Wheeler oddly getting a bust brand in 2005 which was quickly changed in 2006), yet Hayes is an interesting player. Draft rank aside, is he really such a huge catch? Any free asset is fantastic, there’s no disagreement there, but is this a media circus brought on by a lack of news and the fact that it is a double Cup Winning franchise on the end of this?
Corban Knight, who? Yes that other NCAA prospect who quit out on signing with his drafting team. He might crack the Flames next season...and hey, he had a better NCAA career than Hayes.
The 22 year old Hayes had...a breakout year. Let’s call a spade a spade, he, Gaudreau and Arnold formed one of the more terrifying offensive threats in recent NCAA history as a line. The biggest question is whether this is progression and the “blossoming” of first round talent, or a year where everything goes right beside arguably the best NCAA player in years in Gaudreau. He’s an interesting player, gifted with size and speed, yet a gentle giant who wants to rely on his skill over what has been given to him. In many ways he is like Blake Wheeler in game style, but he lacks the offensive instincts to be an individual difference maker at the moment. From what NCAA watchers and scouts have told me, Hayes is the biggest question-mark coming out of there since Ryan Potulny, a highly hyped college product himself in his day for the Flyers. His star season came in his final year for the U of Minnesota where some writers credited him with “enhancing” Phil Kessel...no that is an actual quote from TSN in 2005...sent hype waves around the league, that sadly never panned out.
What I’m getting at here is that any team that targets and tries to get Hayes is well justified in doing so. They might as well, even a terrible asset is fine if it’s free, not that he’s a terrible asset or anything. Yet don’t get caught in the hype. Don’t get caught in the massive hype because he’s 6’4 and skates well, that at 22 he can decimate the NCAA with the leading scorer and best forward in the league on his line. Especially when Hayes has and continues to be viewed as primarily an offensive first skill forward, and not some kind of defensively aware grinder who just "sparked" out of the blue. Let's not kid ourselves, Hayes was drafted for scoring and doing so while being tall, yet the scoring hasn't really been a thing until this season.
I say instead of the hype we wonder at why somebody coming off such a huge year, being invested in with the 24th overall selection on a Cup winning team that requires talented forwards...nay NEEDS talented forwards to keep them going, decides he wants out to test the market. The obvious and maybe unfair answer crops up. Chicago is cap strapped, they can’t afford a 3.75mil ELC on the roster, not even as a call-up, and that’s what he will get with many teams interested in a former first round pick coming off a year like he had.
It’s a cruel business and it tends to bite teams in the rump. Only time will tell how Hayes will turn out and with which new team he signs with, but let’s all put things in perspective and avoid the hype train for a guy with one good season to his name in a competitive league. Not to mention that whole suspension thing for...well...look it up if you want, it isn’t pretty.
As an aside I want to tell everyone that about 14 of my “Top-10 Prospects” blogs are written. It includes some opinions and insight from fellow writers on HB as they helped me shape the various lists based on suggestions about their own teams prospects. Usually I do these alone and independent of others, but I figured this year was a good time to try to get other voices involved, if only to dissuade me from my insane and inane opinions on prospects...PS Buffalo fans I’m pre-emptively sorry as you’ll be first and Michael gave me a great list with some solid reasoning's, but I kept a few guys off for others.
Thanks for reading.
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