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Hayes to skip ‘Hawks camp as contract deadline looms

GaudreauHayes

Things are going down to the wire between Boston College star Kevin Hayes and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Hayes, Chicago’s first-round pick (24th overall) at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, is passing on Chicago’s summer prospects camp as he and agent Robert Murray negotiate a deal prior to the Aug. 15 deadline -- at which time Hayes becomes an unrestricted free agent.

(If he goes UFA, the Blackhawks would be given a compensatory second-round draft pick in 2015.)

More, from ESPN Chicago:

Murray said Tuesday the negotiations are ongoing between Hayes and the Blackhawks, and there is a possibility the two sides can still come to an agreement.

“Of course he could still sign with Chicago,” Murray wrote in a text on Tuesday.

Murray previously said there were a number of criteria, including depth of the organization, they were using to determine whether Hayes would sign. Hayes would likely begin his professional career in the AHL if he signed with the Blackhawks.

Prospects camp starts Sunday and, as you’d expect, there are plenty of angles to Hayes not attending while he works out a deal. Let’s break them down in point form:

– Being unsigned four years after getting drafted in the first round is odd from a development standpoint. Hayes is now 22 years old and already behind the curve (to a certain degree) compared to a number of his ’10 draftees. Two forwards taken behind him (Charlie Coyle, Tyler Toffoli) have already emerged as full-time NHLers and Joakim Nordstrom, who the ‘Hawks took 66 spots after Hayes at that same draft, has already made his NHL debut.

– Hayes is still a prospect and had plenty of success at BC, finishing third in the country last season in scoring while winning the 2014 Beanpot MVP. But he was also one of the biggest (6-foot-3, 205 pounds; the BC website lists him at 6-4, 216) and physically mature players in NCAA hockey last year.

– The issue of Hayes cracking Chicago’s lineup could be key. The ‘Hawks have traded away a number of good young prospects that couldn’t get a regular chance to play in the top six forwards, like Brandon Pirri and Jimmy Hayes. If that latter name is familiar, it should be — Jimmy is Kevin’s older brother, and was sent packing to Florida this season as part of the Kris Versteeg trade. Upon moving to the Panthers, Hayes proceeded to score 11 goals and 18 points in 53 games (the 53 games were more than Hayes saw in three years with the Blackhawks.)

– It has to be mentioned that, at least publicly, Hayes and Murray say trading Jimmy has nothing to do with Kevin’s reluctance to sign in Chicago. “There’s no issue, no problem,” Murray told ESPN Chicago. “It absolutely has nothing to do with Jimmy. Chicago treated Jimmy fine. The trade probably helped Jimmy.”

That final point probably most key. If the elder Hayes found greener pastures elsewhere, maybe the younger is thinking the same?