The St. Louis Blues have traded veteran forward Kevin Hayes to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick, per @PierreVLeBrun of TSN and The Athletic.
The trade, which was confirmed during the second day of the NHL Draft, sees Hayes moving to his fourth NHL franchise. The 32-year-old center is coming off a campaign in which he recorded 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) in 79 games for the Blues. By moving Hayes, St. Louis gains a mid-round asset while clearing a spot in their forward rotation as they continue to reshape their roster under General Manager Doug Armstrong.
For the Pittsburgh Penguins, the acquisition of Hayes provides much-needed veteran depth at the center position. Hayes has two years remaining on his current contract, which features salary retention from his previous stint with the Philadelphia Flyers. Kyle Dubas and the Penguins front office are expected to utilize Hayes in a bottom-six role to provide defensive reliability and secondary scoring.
The fourth-round selection acquired by the Blues is the 116th overall pick in the current draft. This move follows a series of transactions as teams look to manage the salary cap ahead of the free agency period. No additional players or picks were involved in the swap.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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