The Pittsburgh Penguins took a leap forward in 2025/26 that very few around the NHL saw coming, and while the youth played a small role in that, it was all about veterans putting together fantastic seasons.
That includes the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson and Anthony Mantha, but their depth played a key role in helping teh team get back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in a few seasons. One player that didn’t appear too much throughout the year was veteran forward Kevin Hayes, and now, with the team pushing for youth, he has departed the organization in free agency.
Kevin Hayes Leaves Pittsburgh; Signs in the KHL
GettyKevin Hayes of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
At 34-years-old, there was expected to be plenty of interest in Hayes this off-season throughout the NHL, but clearly, the opportunities that the veteran was looking for simply have not presented themselves.
Likely, the veteran winger was looking for a role where he can play in the top-nine on a contending team, but with so many exciting young players out there, teams have filled those roles elsewhere. Now, with the season just over a month away, Hayes has decided to depart North America, as he has officially inked a deal with AK Bars Kazan in the KHL, a team based in Kazan in Russia.
While it may seem like a downgrade to some, Hayes is signing with a team that was on the verge of glory in 2025/26, as the team fell in six games in the Gagarin Cup Finals a season ago, and with Hayes adding to a star studded roster, they believe that they can go one step further this coming season.
Will we see Kevin Hayes Back in the NHL Again?
This move comes on the back of a season that saw Hayes play in just 28 games for the Penguins, posting four goals and eight points in that time, but just a year earlier with the team, he contributed 13 goals and 23 points across 64 games played.
At 6-foot-3, 217 pounds, Hayes’ game has never been about dominating offensively, but rather contributing a two-way game that sees him chip in with offense now and then, and given the experience that the 34-year-old brings to the table, it’s a major surprise that an NHL team out there didn’t want to give him the opportunity ahead of the coming season.
While 34 is the age of someone with plenty of experience, we’re also seeing players stay in the NHL longer and longer in the modern day, and given that it’s a one-year deal that Hayes sign with AK Bars, there’s a good chance that this hasn’t closed the door on Hayes’ NHL career, as he could certainly draw interest in North America with a good showing in the KHL over the next 12 months.
Former Penguins Forward Kevin Hayes Signs With top Contender