Penguins Prospect Avery Hayes Quickly Climbing Rankings For Unique Reason: 'He Makes You Mad'

Avery Hayes went un-drafted, and after signing him as a free agent, it appears as though the Pittsburgh Penguins may have found a genuine diamond in the rough.

The 22-year old just completed his first full season in the American Hockey League with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and now, his name is heating up in conversations around the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In 60 games with WBS a season ago, Hayes posted 23 goals and 42 points, becoming a key piece of a very successful AHL season, and this off-season, he's garnering plenty of attention within the organization.

Recently, he had two goals in a prospect game against the Buffalo Sabres, with reporters seeing him as a player that could make his debut in the National Hockey League in 2025/26.

Now, in Josh Yohe's latest piece for The Athletic, he reveals the one key thing that sets Hayes apart from other prospects, and it's the thing that could make Kyle Dubas and Dan Muse push him to the NHL this season.

On top of that, Hayes has been very productive in any opportunity he's been given at the professional level, and that combined with his gritty attitude could force the Penguins hand this season as they look to continue their youth movement around Sidney Crosby.

Only time will tell whether or not Hayes gets his opportunity, but at 22-years old, if he continues the way he's been going since arriving in Pittsburgh, the sky is the limit for the Michigan native.