Avery Hayes

Jake Levanovaj, um, who played one game for the Penguins last year will be there.

Travis Hayes.

He scored a goal, too.

What's that?

That's what kinda like I was like, "Maybe I meant to sign McGroarty." 'Cause I felt better about McGroarty.

I felt better about McGroarty than I have Kovinen, uh, for the most part.

But McGroarty, a healthy off-season, uh, ano- but another one, it's time to take that, that step Um, obviously we're both looking forward to Avery Hayes, though expectations are obviously-

Oh, yeah

But by my count, Hunter, and you can correct me if I'm wrong here, there are eight players vying for that one single spot.

By my count, I have Ville Koivunen, Elder Soderblom, Justin Brazzeau, Hendrix Lapierre, Philip Hollander, Rutger McSorley, Avery Hayes, and David Gustafson.

Hunter, this is how I see this going, at least how I see it going in the beginning.

The 12th spot is gonna go to Koivunen.

I mean, that could definitely be true, and we- we've talked about how, you know, if there's a younger player that really impresses, I don't think they'd hesitate to potentially put one of these veterans on waiver saying like, "Hey, you just didn't do enough, and we're going to give this opportunity to a younger player." If that someone is Ville Koivunen, again, I need to see it during camp or preseason before he potentially makes the team.

Okay.

If that someone is Avery Hayes, Rocco McGroarty, et cetera, okay, same thing.

Like, they, they won't hesitate to move a veteran or two out to make room for some of these other younger forwards.

And I think that people need to look at him as a player that if he performs the way that he's performed pretty much every training camp since he joined the organization, he could be there in Philly.

Not feeling confident enough to put him in my prediction from the first segment, but somebody that I'm keeping my eye on could get there if not right away very early on so the dark horse to make the opening night lineup for me is avery hayes historically a very very fast starter when it comes to training camp he has dominated prospect tournaments really ever since he stepped foot on the scene in the penguins organization that's something that he probably even though doesn't need to go the prospect tournament he might still be on that roster later this week simply because he's like yeah this has been a very good way for me to start my season every single year please let me do it again like there's a chance that avery hayes is on that roster this week simply because hockey players very superstitious and he might be pleading with the organization we don't know we'll find out you might find out before this even comes out but we might find out at some point this week that he is on that roster, excuse me.

So he usually follows that up with some solid training camp performances.

I expect the same from him again, but now what he has now that he hasn't had before is NHL experience under his belt familiarity with the coaching staff and familiarity from the coaching staff side with him.

think for that reason you look at him as a guy that and say man maybe you're not penciling him in now but he could quickly make an impact this is a guy who quickly last year made an impact and made a name for himself when he played in his nhl debut in buffalo after two goals in that debut Everybody in Pittsburgh was clamoring for more Avery Hayes, so he knows how to make an impression in a short amount of time.

And that's what you're going to have to do to make the roster this year.

Training camp is shorter than it's ever been before.

It is a sprint to opening night, and that favors Avery Hayes.

But at the same time, Go back and look at that roster last year.

How many of those players, at least a handful, played in that prospect tournament in Buffalo last year, will be in Detroit this year? How many of them played in Buffalo last year and then played games at the NHL level for the Penguins? Avery Hayes is somebody who's been an all-star at prospect tournament weekend.

This might be the first year that he doesn't participate in that prospect tournament.

So going to be a fun weekend.

But I think the door is open there.

And I think that people need to look at him as a player that if he performs the way that he's performed pretty much every training camp since he joined the organization, he could be there in Philly.

Not feeling confident enough to put him in my prediction from the first segment, but somebody that I'm keeping my eye on could get there if not right away very early on so the dark horse to make the opening night lineup for me is avery hayes historically a very very fast starter when it comes to training camp he has dominated prospect tournaments really ever since he stepped foot on the scene in the penguins organization that's something that he probably even though doesn't need to go the prospect tournament he might still be on that roster later this week simply because he's like yeah this has been a very good way for me to start my season every single year please let me do it again like there's a chance that avery hayes is on that roster this week simply because hockey players very superstitious and he might be pleading with the organization we don't know we'll find out you might find out before this even comes out but we might find out at some point this week that he is on that roster, excuse me.

So he usually follows that up with some solid training camp performances.