Pittsburgh Penguins’ Forward Will Miss Season’s Start

Hayes was checked into the boards by defenceman Ryan Graves on Thursday when the Penguins opened training camp. Following the hit, Hayes left the ice and did not return to practice.

Hayes will not be evaluated for a month. This guarantees he will miss the start of the season.

Injury Ends Training Camp Battle

Hayes headed into his second training camp in Pittsburgh competing for a roster spot. In his first season as a Penguin, Hayes played in 64 games, recording 10 goals and 23 points in 64 games.

As the Penguins continue their rebuild, Hayes’s role with the team was unknown. That uncertainty increases following the injury.

LTIR Implications

There is a possibility the Penguins will place Hayes on long-term injured reserve. This will depend on the extent of his injury.

Hayes will not be re-evaluated until October 19th. The Penguins will have played seven regular-season games by that point. Per the rules, a player added to LTIR must miss at least ten games and 24 days of the season. Starting the season by placing Hayes on LTIR could open roster and cap space for the Penguins to further explore options for their season-opening roster. Hayes has $3.57 million on his contract, which expires after this season.

Rough Opening to Camp

This is definitely not the way the Penguins envisioned training camp beginning. The team has been mentioned many time around the hockey world, from proposed Sidney Crosby trades, Evgeni Malkin‘s final season in Pittsburgh, and one last moment in a Pen’s sweater for Marc-Andre Fleury.