Vitals
Player: Avery Hayes
Born: October 10, 2002 (age 23)
Height: 5’ 10”
Weight: 180 pounds
Hometown: Westland, Michigan
Shoots: Right
Draft: Undrafted
2025-26 Statistics: Five goals, zero assists in 16 regular-season games
Contract Status: Hayes is signed through the 2026-27 season on his $867,500 entry-level contract.
Story of the Season
Hayes played 16 games with the Penguins this season, but he still led the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins with 24 goals in 42 games.
The winger made his NHL debut on Feb. 5, during which he scored
two goals in the first period of a 5-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres just before the Olympic break.
That made him one of seven NHL players to score twice in the first period of their debut in the league.
Hayes had a harder time finding immediately success during his next stint in the NHL, a 10-game post-Olympics stretch during which he didn’t mark the scoresheet.
He was called up again at the end of March and scored his third NHL goal in a win at the New York Islanders.
Although he struggled to find ways to mark the scoresheet, Hayes was regularly visibly for his heavy hits and for his penalties (he recored 12 penalty minutes in just 16 games).
Hayes stayed up with the Pens for the final three games of the regular season, during which time the Penguins had already locked up a playoff spot. He recorded another two-goal night in the regular season finale against the St. Louis Blues.
Hayes didn’t crack the Penguins lineup during the playoffs. He added another three goals in 15 AHL playoff games as the WBS Pens made it to the Eastern Conference Finals before Sunday’s Game 6 overtime elimination loss by the Toronto Marlies.
Monthly Splits
Hayes made his Penguins debut just before the NHL paused the season for the Olympics from Feb. 6 to Feb. 24. When NHL play resumed, he appeared in the lineup for 15 of the Penguins’ 25 remaining regular-season games.
Regular season 5v5 advanced stats
Data via Natural Stat Trick. Ranking is out of 18 forwards on the team who qualified by playing a minimum of 150 minutes.
Corsi For%: 44.98% (18th)
Goals For%: 46.67% (16th)
xGF%: 50.23% (14th)
Scoring Chance %: 51.5% (7th)
High Danger Scoring Chance%: 49.33% (11th)
5v5 on-ice shooting%: 12.28% (6th)
On-ice save%: 90.12% (8th)
Goals/60: 1.75 (1st)
Assist/60: 0 (18th)
Points/60: 1.75 (11th)
The Penguins didn’t spend a lot of time in the offensive zone when Hayes was on the ice, but his five goals in just 178 total minutes of ice time technically made him the most efficient scorer on the roster. He also recorded 23 hits in 25 games, per Hockey Reference.
Highlights
Questions to Ponder
Can Hayes crack the Penguins roster to start the next NHL season?
He’ll join Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen as fringe roster players who got a taste of NHL playing time last season and could get another shot at the roster next training camp.
The potential departures of players like Noel Acciari and Kevin Hayes could open up some bottom-six spots for a player like Hayes.
If he doesn’t make it in on the October roster, Hayes will likely continue starring for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as the AHL team braces for the potential loss of Sergei Murashov to the NHL next season.
At the time of his February debut, Hayes was one of 12 rookies who played for the Penguins last season. Turning some of those players into full-time NHLers alongside Ben Kindel would help Kyle Dubas restock the roster at a relatively low cost this offseason.
Ideal 2026-26
Hayes struggled to make an impact on offense throughout most of his time in the NHL last season. An ideal 2025-26 campaign would include him finding a way to contribute on offense, earning a roster spot in training camp and then providing a physical presence in the Pens lineup next season.
It was obvious throughout the WBS Penguins’ run in the Calder Cup playoffs that Hayes knows how to get other under players’ skin. The Penguins could use a pest-like player like that if Hayes is able to make the jump to the NHL next season.
Bottom Line
Hayes has spent two seasons as one of the top forwards in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and will get his best shot yet at a season-opening spot on the Penguins’ roster next fall.
The 23-year-old showed sparks of potential last season, particularly in his historic two-goal debut and with his consistent heavy hits, but he’ll need to find a way to make more of an impact on offense to carve out a more permanent place for himself on the Penguins’ bottom six.
Final Grade
C
Hayes would likely get an A for his work with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, especially during the regular season before his drop in production during the playoffs. In the NHL, he struggled to regularly contribute on offense but showed flashes that will likely get him another audition during training camp this fall.
What grade do you think Hayes deserves for his first 16 games with the Penguins?
