Penguins forward Kevin Hayes can fill several roles

In his first game as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Kevin Hayes drew rousing cheers.

Sure, the goal he scored in the second period of Tuesday’s 3-2 preseason loss to the Buffalo Sabres at PPG Paints Arena gave the finite number of spectators — generously listed as 11,588 — ample reason to celebrate.

But it was a defensive play during a penalty-killing sequence he made midway through the third period that elicited a hearty round of applause from those whose opinions matter the most.

Management.

With just over nine minutes remaining in regulation, Hayes hounded Sabres defenseman Zach Metsa into a turnover on the right wing wall of Buffalo’s zone. Instead of just firing it on net or rimming it along the boards, Hayes dealt the puck back toward his own blue line for Penguins defenseman Sebastian Aho to maintain possession and kill a little bit more of the penalty.

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(Video courtesy Danny Shirey.)

It was a veteran maneuver that caused those sitting in the Penguins’ management suite to clap and even holler a bit in appreciation.

“(Penalty killing) is a big part of my game. I feel like when you go against the other team’s power play, it’s four offensive guys and one defensive guy on their unit,” Hayes said. “When you get possession of the puck, everyone assumes you’re going to ice it. Sometimes, there’s a little bit more space than you think.”

Displays like those are what have made Hayes a largely effective all-around entity throughout most of the first 10 years of his career. But as he enters his 11th season, Hayes is seeking something of a renaissance.

In late June, the St. Louis Blues jettisoned Hayes — who never found a fit in Missouri — and a second-round draft pick to the Penguins, who were more interested in the pick than Hayes.

And a year prior, the rebuilding Philadelphia Flyers offloaded the veteran Hayes to the Blues and were so eager to do so, they opted to retain half of his salary cap hit ($7,142,857) to complete that transaction.

A pair of trades in a short span. And without ideal circumstances.

“Two years ago, I was in (Philadelphia), thought I had a good year,” Hayes said. “Then, last year (with the Blues), didn’t go as planned. Just kind of reset. Little bit of an ego check. Work hard. I can play center or wing, whatever they need me to play. Kind of just a reset, back to basics and just trying to work as hard as I can.”

The Penguins put him to work in a variety of capacities Tuesday. In addition to the penalty kill, he saw time with the first power-play unit and the first line in a lineup that was composed mostly of reserves.

Logging 19 minutes, 52 seconds of ice time on 22 shifts, Hayes had two shots on four attempts and was 16 for 21 on faceoffs (76%).

As for his goal, it was hardly a spectacle, but it was reflective of a veteran’s guile.

Linemate Cody Glass glided into the offensive zone on the left wing and then cut through the high slot to the top of the right circle, where he chucked a wrister on net. Sabres goaltender Michael Houser made the initial save but allowed a rebound that pinballed off a few sticks and skates. Coasting in from the right wing, Hayes identified the loose puck and chopped it from near the right post.

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“I saw (Glass) coming through the neutral zone to my side,” Hayes said. “I didn’t have a ton of space, so I went to the other side to find more space. He made a good play, cut to the middle, shot it. There was a rebound. I tried to use my big frame as much as possible and go to the net.”

Getting to the net has never been a concern for an All-Star with a pair of 20-goal seasons on his resume. But given his age (32) and dimensions (6-foot-5 and 216 pounds), the speed at which he arrives at the cage is a fair curiosity.

Hayes admits he relies more on his guile than his gait to move around the ice.

“Definitely not the prettiest skater,” Hayes quipped. “I think it looks lazy. It’s not. I just kind of use my body position to gain steps on people. I don’t think I’m going to wow anyone with my speed this season. Throughout my career, I’ve kind of learned how to build body position and kind of aggravate the other players.”

Management would like to see his celerity match his craftiness.

“We’re pushing Kevin to play with a little bit more pace,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “That’s one element that we’ve been on him about because we think he can make contributions and help us win games if he continues to try to play the game with pace and play on his toes and not get into glide mode. His hockey IQ is really high. He has real good offensive instincts, he’s good in the faceoff circle, he’s a good penalty killer, he’s got a good stick, he reads plays well. These are all the things that I think that he’s good at, what he brings to the table also.

“We’re going to continue to push him just on the pace side of it. If we can elevate his pace, there’s another level to him.”

With experience, Hayes has learned the value of contributing at several levels.

“I feel like when I first entered the league, I was offense only,” Hayes said. “(Power-play) and trying to just play offense the whole time. I feel like my game evolved a little bit. Then, I started just playing (penalty kill). I think I can do both. Whatever the team needs me to do, I’ll do to the best of my abilities.

“It’s always nice when you’re playing in every situation in the game. It allows you to be very in tune with your game when you’re playing all positions in all situations.”

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