After attending New Jersey Devils camp on a tryout contract Jimmy Hayes did enough to show management that he was worthy of a roster spot for the 2017-18 season.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported on Sunday morning that the Devils have signed Hayes to a one-year contract that will pay him a salary of $700,000.
NJ agrees to terms with forward Jimmy Hayes, who was at camp on PTO. One year deal, $700K.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) October 1, 2017
Hayes is coming off of a pretty miserable season in Boston that saw him manage just five points (two goals, three assists) in 58 games. His ice-time was significantly reduced to less than 10 minutes per game and he managed to score on just 2.7 percent of his shots.
Given his track record in the NHL before last season, including the fact that he scored 32 goals over the previous two seasons, there is reason to believe that he can bounce back at least a little bit.
Now he is going to get that chance with the Devils. It’s only a one-year deal with a minimal salary cap hit so it is a pretty low-risk move for the Devils.
The Devils have gone to great lengths to improve their offense this offseason, adding Marcus Johansson, Brian Boyle, Drew Stafford and Hayes to their forward lineup. The biggest addition, though, is No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier.