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Kevin Hayes said he has something to prove with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Last season, the forward experienced a career-low in his NHL career, accumulating only 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) throughout 79 games with the St. Louis Blues. This followed a previous season where he participated in the 2023 NHL All-Star Game as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers, yet struggled in his final 28 games, only gathering seven points (one goal, six assists).

On June 28, 2023, Philadelphia sent Hayes to St. Louis in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Shortly after, on June 29, the Blues traded Hayes, along with a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, to the Penguins in return for future considerations.

Hayes expressed his unwavering confidence despite the challenges faced in the past two seasons. In Pittsburgh, he intends to showcase exactly that.

He expressed, “I continue to believe in my ability to perform in this league. It is important for me to demonstrate this to my teammates and the coaching staff.”

Hayes has two years left on his seven-year, $50 million contract ($7.14 million average annual value) that he agreed to with the Flyers on June 18, 2019. As part of the trade to St. Louis, Philadelphia will retain 50 percent of his salary.

According to Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas, Hayes is anticipated to begin the season as a center. However, Hayes, who has previous experience playing as a wing, stated that he won’t have a clear understanding of his role until closer to the training camp in September.

Irrespective of his destination, the 32-year-old aims to seize every opportunity that comes his way.

Hayes expressed his determination to regain his desired position in the league by establishing a strong rapport with the coach and earning their trust, enabling him to contribute effectively in various game situations. He believes that his playing style primarily revolves around being a team-oriented player and prioritizing passing, but he aspires to transition towards adopting a more aggressive shooting mentality.

“I strive to positively influence the players I engage with, aiming to enhance their skills and abilities. I believe that the opportunity in Pittsburgh will enable me to accomplish this goal.”

Hayes, who is embarking on his 11th season in the NHL, has accumulated a total of 415 points (168 goals and 247 assists) throughout his career spanning 713 games. His contributions have been witnessed while playing for esteemed teams such as the New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets, Flyers, and Blues. Notably, he boasts two impressive seasons with 20 or more goals, recording 25 goals during the 2017-18 season with New York and 23 goals during the 2019-20 season with Philadelphia.

However, he has been let go by two teams over the course of the last two seasons.

“In Philadelphia, I committed to a seven-year contract. Unfortunately, I experienced a challenging season due to injuries in 2021-22,” Hayes explained. “During my last year in Philly, I didn’t have the same perspective as Coach John Tortorella, but that’s completely understandable. As for my time in St. Louis, I always felt like I couldn’t quite find the right role. I don’t want to label it as a rebuilding phase because I don’t believe that’s the case, and I remember that the team wasn’t particularly fond of that term when it was mentioned last year. It simply seemed like I didn’t quite fit into their overall plan.”

Hayes mentioned feeling inspired as he heads towards the Penguins due to that.

He expressed that being part of two different teams within two years was definitely a blow to his ego. As someone who possesses a strong sense of self-assurance, he has acquired ample experience in the League over the years and has had prosperous seasons. He is well aware of the adjustments needed to ensure his performance thrives in this league. In Pittsburgh, he believes he will be presented with a promising chance to accomplish that.

Rather than considering it as a boost to my ego, I see it as an opportunity to use it as motivation to prove my ability to play and perform in this league to those two teams.

Hayes emphasized the importance of comfort and expressed his confidence in finding it in Pittsburgh.

There’s the core three of centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and defenseman Kris Letang, who have played together since 2007-08 and won the Stanley Cup three times (2009, 2016, 2017). Mike Sullivan has been coach since Dec. 12, 2015.

Hayes expressed his enthusiasm for rejoining the Metropolitan Division, where he had played for a total of nine seasons with both the Rangers and Flyers.

Hayes expressed amusement at how the two teams he played for in the Metro have become significant rivals with Pittsburgh. He noted that a subtle animosity always existed between these teams. However, the situation has now completely turned around, as he now harbors a sense of animosity towards the other teams.