Philadelphia Flyers Rumors: Division Rival Called About Kevin Hayes

Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes was one of the most-talked-about trade targets on deadline day, but he ended up staying put. However, he did garner interest from a division rival, as Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek reported that the Flyers had trade talks with the Columbus Blue Jackets centering around Hayes.

This is an intriguing development, as the Blue Jackets currently have the fewest points in the NHL, but they were open to adding to their roster if it helped them in the long term. This is understandable, however, as the Blue Jackets' center depth is particularly weak, and Hayes would have improved it significantly. With that, he is also locked up under contract until the end of the 2025-26 season, so he would have been far more than a rental for Columbus.

Perhaps the Blue Jackets could explore making a push for Hayes again this offseason when teams have more money to work. On paper, he would be a great addition to the Blue Jackets, but they would also need to not be on his 12-team no-trade list for a move to have any chance of happening.

In 62 games this season, the All-Star forward has 17 goals to go along with 32 helpers.