Flyers trade center Kevin Hayes to St. Louis Blues
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Kevin Hayes is going to St. Louis after all. The Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday traded Hayes to the Blues for a 2024 third-round draft pick.
The Flyers will retain 50% of Hayes' remaining three years on his contract.
Hayes will carry about a $3.5 million cap hit for the Blues.
The Flyers acquired Hayes from the Winnipeg Jets and then signed him to a seven-year, $50 million contract in 2019.
Hayes concludes his Flyers career with 157 points in 253 games in four seasons.
But with the Flyers in a rebuild and Hayes and head coach John Tortorella not being a perfect match, moving the center was expected.
According to multiple reports, the Flyers and Blues were discussing a bigger trade involving Hayes and Travis Sanheim going to St. Louis for defenseman Torey Krug and a first-round draft pick. Krug reportedly nixed the trade by not waiving his no-trade clause.
Hayes is the second shoe to drop in the Flyers' rebuild.
Earlier this month, the Flyers traded defenseman Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a three-team deal.
The Flyers have 10 picks, including two first-rounders, in Wednesday's and Thursday's NHL draft.