Philadelphia, The City Of Brotherly Hatred: Kevin Hayes The Latest Victim

Consider the chatter that always followed Claude Giroux throughout his career. Giroux was the fans whipping boy, for their irrational expectations and the team's failures for years. Giroux finished the 2017-18 season with 102 points, trailing only Connor McDavid, and followed that season up with another point per game+ season with 85 points in 82 games.

How did fans feel about those seasons? Mainly by mocking Giroux and labelling him as a terrible leader and someone who deserved to be stripped of his Captaincy and shipped out of town; logical, right?!

This year the consistent cries of the fans have focused on Kevin Hayes. «He isn't worth $7 million dollars». «Hayes can't skate and is too slow». «Kevin Hayes shouldn't be running a power play».

So, the question has to be asked; what are the *realistic* expectations of Hayes?? (I cannot emphasis the word REALISTIC enough).

Kevin Hayes is a legitimate #2 center, which is the slot he was picked up to play, behind one of the league's best two-way centers, Sean Couturier. In Couturier's absence, Hayes has been bumped to the top line, facing the opponents top paring defense and typically their top line; a considerable difference from playing a 3-4 D paring and second or third line. Yet, Kevin Hayes is on pace to experience his best year in the NHL, threatening to hit 80 points, despite the more difficult assignments. In 22 games, Kevin Hayes has 22 points.

Kevin Hayes is currently out producing the following perennial all-stars, who all make considerably more money:

Patrick Kane $10.5 million, Jonathan Toews $10.5 million, Aleksander Barkov $10 million, Anze Kopitar $10 million, Alex Ovechkin $9.5 million, Johnny Gaudreau $9.75 million, Tyler Seguin $9.85 million, Mark Stone $9.5 million, Jakub Voracek $8.25, Tomas Hertl $8.137 million, Evgeny Kuznetsov $7.8 Million and The Predators Filip Forsberg $8.5 million, Ryan Johansen $8 million, and Matt Duchene $8 million.

Although Kevin Hayes has spent the majority of his time with Travis Konecny, who is having a breakout season, since Konecny's injury Hayes has played primarily with Owen Tippett or Joel Farabee, but has also seen considerable time with linemates like Lukas Sedlak, Zach MacEwen, and Noah Cates. It does not seem to matter who Kevin Hayes is lined up with, he has been producing points virtually every game.

Kevin Hayes is not playing with an elite finisher or linemate like Matthew Tkachuk, Jack Eichel, or Adrien Kempe on a nightly basis, like Barkov, Stone, and Kopitar have the luxury of, but he is racking up more points than the aforementioned stars.

Again, what is a reasonable expectation of Kevin Hayes? If he isn't keeping pace with Connor McDavid for the leagues scoring title, is he not worthy of his contract and should be considered a failure? Is that the expectation of the fans?

Kevin Hayes plays within his game and utilizes his size to his advantage; he will never be fast and he is not a hitting machine. That is not Hayes' game and expecting otherwise would be naïve. Hayes has elite vision, phenomenal patience, soft hands, and a distinct ability to control the flow of the game and control play.

Why is Kevin Hayes repeatedly being chastised by fans for his play, when he and Konecny are the only consistent point producing players in the Flyers lineup? Is it simply fans transferring their illogical perceptions and expectations of Giroux onto Hayes? Do fans in Philadelphia simply need someone to unleash their aggression and hatred towards when the Flyers lose and Kevin Hayes is that player right now?