Buccigross Calling His Shot: Kevin Hayes To The Blackhawks
Oh boy. The Blackhawks have money to spend this summer. Everyone knows that. They might be out of the running for Panarin for a variety of reasons, but Kevin Hayes would be a real nice piece to the puzzle. When you combine the Bucci tweet with the Barstool Chief tweet yesterday
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Makes you think that Kevin Hayes to the Blackhawks is a real possibility. If not probability. Bucci seems pretty pretty tight with the Hayes brothers. I think the golf together and shit. I wouldn’t dismiss Bucci just saying that. I think Kevin Hayes has probably already had conversations with the Blackhawks about the summer. He’s not signing in Winnipeg. Both sides know that. Might have some legal tampering going on over an early lunch yesterday with Hayes in town.
The Blackhawks have liked Kevin Hayes for a LONG time. Like as in a decade. The Blackhawks drafted Hayes in the summer of 2010 straight out of New England Prep knowing that he would go to BC for a few years. He ended up doing a full four years and then told the Blackhawks to fuck off and signed with the Rangers. It feels like Hayes has been around forever, but he’s only 26 years old and he’s really developed into a legit center. Good on draws, great vision, and playmaking, and he’s putting it all together this year. 54 points in 68 games is pretty legit production.
Obviously Hayes is going to get a nice pay day this summer, but not Panarin nice or Stone nice. He makes 5.1M now. I would assume Hayes would get in the 7-8 range this summer. Which means the Blackhawks would have to move some pieces to make it work. And by pieces I mean Anisimov. If the Blackhawks are able to do that then they’ll be able to not only afford Kevin Hayes, but maybe also make a move for Dzingel.
This team right here is a VERY VERY strong forward group. Obviously the defense would still need work, but the Blackhawks would still have over $7.5M to play with to go and get a Ryan Murray. Then the following year when the Blackhawks need to pay both Strome and Debrincat they’ll likely need to move Saad and Murphy. Crawford also comes off the books, but at 35 years old I can’t imagine he’d want to leave. He may take a pay cut or even just retire. Which is why I think the Blackhawks should really really GO for it this summer. Once final bite at the apple with Toews, Kane, Keith, and Crawford. GO GET IT