ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Blues have traded their sixth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Kevin Hayes.
St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced the move Tuesday.
The Flyers will retain 50% of the remaining three years on Hayes’ contract. He signed a seven-year, $50 million contract with an annual average of $7.14 million in 2019. Hayes will have a cap hit of $3,571,428 on the Blues roster.
The 31-year-old had a 12-team no-trade list and the Blues were not included, meaning he would accept a trade to the team.
Hayes was originally drafted 24th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. He never played with the team and signed a contract with the New York Rangers in 2014. He played five seasons in New York before being traded to the Winnipeg Jets. He then signed his current contract with the Flyers after his time in Winnipeg.
In the 2022-23 season, he played in 81 regular-season games and tallied 54 points (18 goals and 36 assists). He was also selected to the 2023 NHL All-Star Game.
He has played a total of 634 NHL games and has recorded 386 points (155 goals and 231 assists). He has also appeared in 56 career postseason games, recording 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists).
The Blues currently have nine selections at the 2023 NHL Draft, including three first-rounders. In the first round, they will select 10th, 25th and 29th overall.
The NHL Draft begins at 6 p.m. CT on June 28 on ESPN. Stay up-to-date on the Blues draft picks and latest news here.
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