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Jimmy Hayes Could Be Diamond-In-The-Rough Signing For Penguins

Jimmy Hayes could pay off for the Pens down the road.

With all of the hubbub surrounding the Pittsburgh Penguins on Day 1 about the long-term signing of Jack Johnson, and the reunification of Matt Cullen with the Penguins, fans might have overlooked one under-the-radar signing by general manager Jim Rutherford that could pay off later in the season: winger Jimmy Hayes.

Rutherford signed Hayes to a one-year, two-way deal, meaning he will undoubtedly begin the season in the American Hockey League with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins as a top 9 forward.

Just 28 years old, Hayes is three years removed from scoring 19 and 13 goals in consecutive season for the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins. During that time, he averaged nearly 15 minutes per game, meaning he played top 6 minutes. However, in the last two years, Hayes lost out on consistent playing time with the Bruins and Devils, combining for just five goals in 91 games, averaging just 10.2 minutes per game.

As a fourth-liner in two different situations in back-to-back years, it was hard for him to really establish much of a scoring role, aside from a checking-line winger.

Hayes will have a hard time cracking the opening night roster, but he’s still young, in terms of minutes played (just over 4100 minutes played), and he has the track record of a proven, reliable NHL player that can play important minutes for a contending team in the NHL.

While he doesn’t have the goal-scoring pedigree of consistent NHL scorers, Hayes can find the back of the net in a number of ways.

Take a look at his hat trick against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 29, 2015.

The first goal he scores is off of a strange carom, leaving him wide open in front of Craig Andersen for an easy tap-in. But watch the next two goals.

On the second goal, Hayes starts the break by corralling a pass near his feet, and then getting up to full speed quickly, pairing with Max Talbot for a 2-on-1. From there, Hayes shows off some smooth hands, taking a feed near his feet to flip the one-timer into the top right corner of the net.

Following his second goal, Hayes shows off his net-front prowess to cap off the hat trick with just 0.2 seconds left, knocking a shot down in front and then firing it past Andersen right before the horn for the hat trick.

Hayes is a big body who has shown the ability to score in bunches at the NHL level. And, at 6’5″, 215 pounds, he could give the Pens a big body that can wear down opposing teams in the middle of the season as part of the checking line.

He might not be in the mix right now for an NHL job, based on his contract, but with the way the Penguins tend to deal with injuries each season, don’t be surprised if Hayes gets a look and produces in head coach Mike Sullivan’s player friendly system.

Josh is currently the Sports Editor of the Glenwood Springs Post Independent in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Josh is a diehard Steelers, Penguins and Pirates fan. A graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Syracuse University, Josh also writes for Steelers Depot and 16 Wins a Ring.