John Tortorella's first season in Philadelphia likely didn't go as planned. The Flyers ended up struggling, firing Chuck Fletcher and eventually hiring Daniel Briere as his replacement. Briere spent extensive time with Tortorella trying to learn about his relationship with the players, and who should stay and who should go.
Hayes, 31, had a productive year last year skating in 81 games for the Flyers scoring 18 goals and adding 36 assists. However, after having his penalty killing responsibilities removed, Hayes felt he couldn't contribute as much. It's clear that the separation is going to benefit both parties involved.
