PuckSleuth
85Not on an NHL roster · Right wing · Shoots R
Avery Hayes
Age 23 · 5'10" · 180 lb · Born in Westland, USA
Cap hit
$905K
0.9% of $104M cap
Term
1 yr
Through 2026-27, then RFA
Clause
None
Surplus value
—
needs 40 recent games
Contract details from our records; public announcement not yet matched
2025-26 regular season
GP
16
Goals
5
20.0% shooting
Assists
0
0 primary
Points
5
0.31 per game
TOI/GP
11:10
PP 0:08 · PK 0:02
Plus/minus
-4
Hits
23
Blocks 9
PIM
12
Game Score
+0.50
per game
Game log
Last 5 games · NHL API
| Game | G | A | SOG | HIT | BLK | TOI | PP | PK | FO | OZS% | GV | TK | +/- | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14 @ STL · L 7-5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13:48 | 1:02 | 0:22 | — | 33 | 1 | 1 | +1 | +2.53 |
| Apr 11 vs WSH · L 6-3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 15:22 | 0:00 | 0:00 | — | 67 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -0.02 |
| Apr 9 @ NJD · W 5-2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 11:13 | 0:00 | 0:00 | — | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +0.17 |
| Mar 31 vs DET · W 5-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9:40 | 0:00 | 0:00 | — | 100 | 0 | 1 | +1 | +0.16 |
| Mar 30 @ NYI · W 8-3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11:49 | 0:00 | 0:00 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | +1.20 |
GS = our Game Score (credit for everything he did; goals and assists count most). FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.
Advanced metrics
5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 171 min · percentile vs. NHL forwards
27th percentile
19th percentile
52nd percentile
13th percentile
10th percentile
12th percentile
40th percentile
11th percentile
34th percentile
69th percentile
78th percentile
70th percentile
84th percentile
86th percentile
xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.
Play styleHigh-volume shooter
Trait percentiles vs. NHL wingers · 2025-26
Hayes is a volume-focused sniper who generates chances through aggressive shooting and strong puck control, with elite frequency at finding space. His playmaking and speed remain significant limitations that constrain his overall impact and positioning in transition.
- Shooting volume
- 95
- Playmaking
- 0
- Zone entries(est.)
- 83
- Forechecking
- 72
- Physicality
- 76
- Defensive impact
- 70
- Puck management
- 90
- Speed
- 36
Where he shoots from
Slot 44% · Mid-range 38% · Perimeter 18%(45 unblocked shots)
Strengths
- Shoots at elite rates (95th percentile) with strong work ethic
- Excellent puck management (90th percentile) limits turnovers
- Solid rush chances generation (83rd percentile) creates clean looks
Watch-outs
- Minimal playmaking ability (0th percentile) limits team creation
- Below-average speed (36th percentile) impacts transition and coverage
- Slot shooting (44%) shows room to finish closer to goal
Similar style: Adam Gaudette (SJS), Nolan Foote
Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.
Career stats
From the NHL's player records
| Season | League | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | QC Int PW | Detroit Compuware | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 0 |
| 2015-16 | HPHL 13U | Compuware 13U AAA | 12 | 4 | 6 | 10 | — | 2 |
| 2016-17 | HPHL 14U | Compuware 14U AAA | 20 | 6 | 7 | 13 | — | 6 |
| 2017-18 | HPHL 16U | Honeybaked 16U AAA | 19 | 6 | 4 | 10 | — | 4 |
| 2017-18 | USA-S15 | Team White | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 2017-18 | 16U AAA | Honeybaked 16U AAA | 50 | 22 | 23 | 45 | +7 | — |
| 2018-19 | USA-S16 | Team Orange | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 |
| 2018-19 | OHL | Brantford Bulldogs | 64 | 7 | 11 | 18 | -6 | 22 |
| 2018-19 (playoffs) | OHL | Brantford Bulldogs | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | USA-S17 | Team Red | 5 | 5 | 4 | 9 | — | 0 |
| 2019-20 | Hlinka Gretzky Cup | USA U18 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2019-20 | OHL | Brantford Bulldogs | 42 | 15 | 14 | 29 | -16 | 8 |
| 2020-21 | Slovakia2 | HK Levice | 14 | 3 | 6 | 9 | +1 | 0 |
| 2020-21 (playoffs) | Slovakia2 | HK Levice | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | OHL | Brantford Bulldogs | 66 | 41 | 38 | 79 | +43 | 37 |
| 2021-22 | Memorial Cup | Brantford Bulldogs | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -5 | 2 |
| 2021-22 (playoffs) | OHL | Brantford Bulldogs | 16 | 14 | 20 | 34 | +17 | 19 |
| 2022-23 | OHL | Brantford Bulldogs | 33 | 27 | 14 | 41 | +9 | 40 |
| 2022-23 | OHL | Peterborough Petes | 32 | 16 | 20 | 36 | +11 | 12 |
| 2022-23 | Memorial Cup | Peterborough Petes | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | -5 | 4 |
| 2022-23 (playoffs) | OHL | Peterborough Petes | 22 | 12 | 7 | 19 | +3 | 14 |
| 2023-24 | AHL | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | 29 | 6 | 3 | 9 | -1 | 6 |
| 2023-24 | ECHL | Wheeling Nailers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 |
| 2023-24 (playoffs) | AHL | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | AHL | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | 60 | 23 | 19 | 42 | +12 | 58 |
| 2024-25 (playoffs) | AHL | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 2 |
| 2025-26 | NHL | Pittsburgh Penguins | 16 | 5 | 0 | 5 | -4 | 12 |
| 2025-26 | AHL | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | 42 | 24 | 15 | 39 | +10 | 48 |
| 2025-26 (playoffs) | AHL | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | 15 | 3 | 3 | 6 | +3 | 40 |
Every league he has played in, from the NHL's records, regular season and playoffs.
Latest news
Headlines from news outlets and team blogs
No news about him in the last 30 days.
Sentiment & chatter
Fans
—
Beat writers
—
Media
—
Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.
Recent Game Scores
Last 10 games · goals above average
Average +0.43 per game over these 10.
Where his Game Score comes from
+0.50 per game
2025-26 · 16 GP
Season total +8.0, or +0.50 per game.
- Scoring
- +5.0
- Shooting
- +1.9
- 5-on-5 goals
- -0.1
- Defense
- -0.1
- Physical play
- +0.9
- Puck battles
- -0.1
- Penalties
- +0.6
Game Score gives credit for everything a player does in a game. Goals (1.0) and assists (0.7 primary, 0.5 secondary) count most; shots, blocks, hits, takeaways, penalties drawn, faceoff wins, killing penalties, and holding down the other team's chances add to it. Only mistakes subtract: goals against at 5-on-5, giveaways, penalties taken, faceoff losses, and allowing more chances than an average player would. A player who is there to defend or kill penalties is not marked down for not scoring. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.
Skating · NHL EDGE
2025-26, as of Oct 2
- Top speed
- 21.9 mph
- 35th pct
- 20+ mph bursts
- 15
- Hardest shot
- 82.5 mph
- 33rd pct
- Distance
- 29.1 mi
- OZ time
- 39.8%
- 18th pct
- DZ time
- 42.5%
Age curve
At 23: 99% of peak
NHL forwards · production index
At 23, forwards typically produce 99% of their peak (age 24).
From 24 seasons of NHL results, adjusted for league scoring and save percentage in each era. Shaded bars are the seasons left on his contract.
Contract by season
1 season left
| Season | Team | Cap hit | % of cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | PIT | $905K | 0.9% |
RFA after 2026-27. $905K in cap hits left. % of cap uses each season's ceiling where the league has set one ($104M this season, $113.5M in 2027-28).