Not 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

Goals

20.0% shooting

Assists

0 primary

Points

0.31 per game

TOI/GP

11:10

PP 0:08 · PK 0:02

Plus/minus

-4

Hits

Blocks 9

PIM

Game Score

+0.50

per game

Game log

Last 5 games · NHL API

Game	G	SOG	HIT	BLK	TOI	PP	PK	FO	OZS%	GV	TK	+/-	GS
Apr 14 @ STL · L 7-5	2	3	2	1	13:48	1:02	0:22	—	33	1	1	+1	+2.53
Apr 11 vs WSH · L 6-3	0	1	2	0	15:22	0:00	0:00	—	67	0	0	-1	-0.02
Apr 9 @ NJD · W 5-2	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	2	0	9:40	0:00	0:00	—	100	0	1	+1	+0.16
Mar 30 @ NYI · W 8-3	1	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

xGF%46.3%

27th percentile

Relative xGF%-4.8

19th percentile

HDCF%50.0%

52nd percentile

CF%44.8%

13th percentile

Relative CF%-5.5

10th percentile

FF%44.5%

12th percentile

GF%46.7%

40th percentile

CF/6048.4

11th percentile

CA/6059.6

34th percentile

ixG/601.17

69th percentile

Goals above expected+1.7

78th percentile

IPP71.4%

70th percentile

PDO102.7

84th percentile

OZS%65.7%

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.

Volume shooterForechecking forwardLimited playmaker

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

NHL regular season NHL playoffs All leagues

No NHL playoff games yet.

Seasons traded mid-year show one row per team.

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

-0.1PHI3/7

+0.0

+0.0BOS3/8

-0.0CAR3/10

+0.3

+0.3VGK3/12

+0.1

+0.1UTA3/14

+1.2

+1.2NYI3/30

+0.2

+0.2DET3/31

+0.2

+0.2NJD4/9

-0.0WSH4/11

+2.5

+2.5STL4/14

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

202937

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).