Jimmy Hayes’ time with the Boston Bruins wasn’t very productive, and it looks to be over.
The Bruins on Friday placed Hayes on waivers for the purpose of buying out the final season of his contract. In making the move, the Bruins mostly rid themselves of the forward’s $2.3 million salary cap hit in 2017-18. Instead, he’ll count against the cap in 2017-18 and the following season at $566,667 and $866,667.
Boston acquired the Dorchester native prior to the 2015-16 season in a trade that sent Reilly Smith to the Florida Panthers. The first season with his hometown team was OK at best for Hayes, who scored 13 goals with 16 assists. He really struggled in his second season, with just two goals and three assists in 58 games last season.
Hayes saw no more than 9 minutes of ice time in eight games with the B’s and didn’t play in any of Boston’s first-round playoff series against the Ottawa Senators.
The buyout will put the finishing touches on the “Tyler Seguin trade tree.” Boston traded the former No. 2 pick to the Dallas Stars in 2013, getting Smith — now with the Vegas Golden Knights — as part of that trade. The club then traded him to Florida for Hayes (who’s now gone), and another piece of the Seguin trade — Joe Morrow — is done in Boston after the club declined to extend a qualifying offer to the defenseman.
Thumbnail photo via Sergei Belski/USA TODAY Sports Images
