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Avery Hayes’ wild winning stat makes it impossible for Penguins to send him back down
Photo credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Avery Hayes turns Wilkes Barre wins into a habit, and that’s why Pittsburgh can’t send him back after the Olympics.
The clip making the rounds says the WBS Pens are 30-3-3-1 (.865) when Hayes scores.
That is not “nice to have” offense, that is a scoreboard cheat code.
It also matches what we just saw in the NHL.
On Thursday, Feb. 5, Hayes scored 2 goals in his NHL debut as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat Buffalo 5-2.
He came up from Wilkes Barre with 13-10-23 in 31 AHL games this season, then immediately finished at the net like he belongs.
Yes, it’s a small sample in the NHL, but his impact isn’t subtle.
He attacks the middle, gets his stick available, and forces defenders to turn.
That translates to cleaner exits for the blue line and faster touches for the top-six.
Avery Hayes gives the Pittsburgh Penguins a real jolt
Penguins fans have been begging for a cheap, hungry finisher who doesn’t overthink every chance, and Hayes plays like he heard it.
The Olympics are the pressure point, not the pause.
The NHL roster freeze runs Feb. 4 through Feb. 22, so Pittsburgh’s post-break choices need to be firm.
Hayes is 23, undrafted, and on a two-year entry-level deal with an $830,000 cap hit, which is exactly the kind of value this roster needs.
If he scores, teams win, and WBS proved that for years.
After the break, I want him stapled to a real line, not parked as a 10-minute experiment.
The next checkpoint is Feb. 26 vs New Jersey, and that should feel like Hayes’ audition to keep, not lose.
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Special scene as Sidney Crosby leads Team Canada off the plane at the Olympics in Milan
Special scene as Sidney Crosby leads Team Canada off the plane at the Olympics in Milan