The Colorado Avalanche were reportedly interested in Kevin Hayes. Now that that forward is no longer available, who will they target?
The Colorado Avalanche will not be signing forward Kevin Hayes in free agency unless he spurns the Philadelphia Flyers. Philly sent a fifth-round draft pick to Winnipeg to secure negotiating rights ahead of the July 1 Free Agency Frenzy.
Just like the song goes, I didn’t know what we had (or what we possible had) until it’s gone. I didn’t realize how much I wanted Kevin Hayes until he was gone from potential free agency.
More from Free Agency
- Colorado Avalanche in-depth look at Jonathan Drouin
- Could Colorado Avalanche look into Vladimir Tarasenko?
- Evan Rodrigues a disappointing but expected loss for Colorado Avalanche
- Colorado Avalanche lose several players on first day of free agency
- Avalanche Sign Evan Rodrigues to One Year Deal
It’s not that Hayes was such a fantastic player or was going to come so cheap. In fact, he’s a borderline second-liner. In 71 games last season, he recorded 55 points (19 goals, 36 assists). Sure, that’s not bad production, but it’s also a career high for the 27-year-old.
Hayes is also coming off a one-year standard contract worth $5.2 million. The Flyers traded to have early negotiation rights for Hayes, so he should be expecting a raise and term.
To my mind, $5.2 million is just fine for a 50+ point scorer. He’ll get more and probably over five years or so. Colorado could afford it, but I don’t want that contract on the books in two years when the younger and more talented Gabriel Landeskog comes up due for a pay raise. Or, you know, Cale Makar.
The fact of the Flyers trading for Hayes and likely to give him money and term also tells me something about the upcoming Free Agency Frenzy — it’s going to be brutal. We’re talking the actual frenzy when sharks smell blood or a human falls into piranha-infested water.
This may even be a year that we see teams making offer sheets on restricted free agents. That situation screwed us with Ryan O’Reilly, who had a heck of a good night last night with his latest team, the St. Louis Blues. If someone offer sheets Nikita Zadarov, it’s lights-out for the Avs and the popular Russian.
We’ve also got to wonder who the Colorado Avalanche will now target in free agency. The team could really use a second-line center, though any secondary scorer would do. And I’m going to say they want a player on the south side of 30. That makes for a short list that includes the following players:
It also includes the superstar of this year’s free agency, Artemi Panarin, and every Avs fan’s favorite whipping boy, Matt Duchene.
There are other players available, but their contributions are so negligible that they’d be third liners at best — and we already have plenty of those.
Well, Colorado Avalanche fans, now that Kevin Hayes is off the table, who do you think the team should target in free agency?