While Kevin Hayes waits to hear from the Flyers, several important veterans should be back next season.
When asked if he plans to return to Philadelphia for the upcoming season, Hayes, who turns 31 in May, said he “took up the message that was conveyed months ago” by John Tortorella.
This is because, despite all of the season’s positives, Hayes saw that his future and the Flyers’ don’t appear to coincide as the organization embarks on a rebuild.
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Hayes declared, “I’m turning 31.” “I read the note that was sent several months ago. We’ll watch how that plays out. Most likely, they have already made up their minds. They are unknown to us yet. I’m sure to find out in the vicinity of draft day.
Hayes was eager for the challenge of a new coach and to finally be healthy going into the season. He even expected to have a few disagreements with John Tortorella. On the morning following game 82, Hayes reflects on the season and can only characterize it as “strange.”
“I was an All-Star and had practically a career year,” Hayes remarked. “I never felt like it for the entire season.”
Tortorella moved the career center to the wing early in the season. Later in December, he was scraped. He was the team’s second-leading scorer and primarily played on the first and second lines. And he was immediately given a smaller role after returning from the All-Star game.
“It’s difficult to wake up after the All-Star break, play eight minutes tonight, and play with different players when you’re getting 22 minutes a night and leading the team in points,” Hayes remarked.
Hayes isn’t very interested in leaving Philadelphia. He spoke of his affection for the city and its supporters, as well as for a variety of team members, including interim general manager Danny Brière, former coach Alain Vigneault, and former general manager Chuck Fletcher. One important person he omitted was Tortorella.
However, Hayes is not the decision-maker either. Although he has little control over his destiny, he is aware that rebuilding an organization requires younger players, so if he is traded, he will accept that. He is enthusiastic about the future of his youthful comrades. Hayes takes great satisfaction in giving other players confidence, even when he isn’t performing at his best on the ice. Observing them grow has been “a blast.”
As much as Hayes would like to stay and assist with the reconstruction, she expressed uncertainty about the possibility of that happening.
Conflicting messages
Hayes belonged to a group of players that comprehended Tortorella’s teachings with clarity. This season, one group had virtually little communication from their coach and had to make assumptions.
Above all, defenseman Tony DeAngelo had his first in-depth interview since the day he was declared a healthy scratch five games prior. At first, he assumed it was because they were making way for AHL recall Ronnie Attard and his play had fallen flat. After four games, he still doesn’t understand what’s going on and called the five-game stretch “crazy.”
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“I don’t know enough to really go into it,” DeAngelo remarked. “I’m sure there are explanations, but none that one of us seemed really eager to talk about. I’ll just leave it at that, though.
This season, Travis Sanheim also fell prey to Tortorella’s healthy-scratch scheme. His arrived in a particularly significant game: on February 20, upon his return to Calgary, he played junior hockey in front of a large gathering of loved ones. He noted it’s critical to have games to look forward to during a lengthy season, particularly one as long as the Flyers’.
