Avery
Hayes
R · PIT
- WAR
- 0.5
- PTS
- 5
2025-26№ 235 / 615
Avery Hayes (Pittsburgh Penguins) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Avery Hayes
#85RPlays: Right wing · 4% of faceoffs
Pittsburgh Penguins
HEIGHT : 178 cm · WEIGHT : 86 kg · SHOOTS : R
Born : October 9, 2002 · Westland, United States
Contract : $830,000 · 2025-26 → 2026-27 · Entry-Level Contract · RFA · Signing bonus $55,000
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025-26 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 16 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 12 |
| NHL totals | 17 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 12 | |
Avery Hayes: our analysis
2025-26 season: 16 GP, 5 G, 0 A, 5 PTS, -4 +/-, 11:10 TOI. WAR 0.5 (235th of 615).
Avery Hayes is in his first season in the league. In 2025-26, He his WAR of 0.5 ranks 235th among 615 regulars, in the top half.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: finishing (+1.8); his biggest cost: EV offense (-0.1).
Avery Hayes's story
At the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Avery Hayes wore the U.S. under-18 jersey, an early high-profile moment that preceded his move through major junior. Born October 10, 2002, the right winger developed in the Ontario Hockey League, beginning with the Hamilton Bulldogs before being traded to the Peterborough Petes. Those OHL seasons gave him repeated chances to polish a scoring touch and his instincts around the net, even though he was not selected in an NHL draft.
Undrafted, Hayes turned pro in 2023 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League, the Pittsburgh Penguins' primary affiliate. He settled into the AHL level and emerged as a regular contributor, building a productive campaign that put him on the NHL club’s radar. His play in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton during the 2024–25 season stood out enough to prompt action from Pittsburgh.
Following that productive 2024–25 AHL season, the Pittsburgh Penguins signed Hayes to a two-year entry-level contract scheduled to begin in 2025–26. The chance to step onto the NHL ice arrived sooner: with several forwards unavailable in February 2026, he was recalled and made his NHL debut on February 5, 2026. In that game he scored his first two NHL goals in a 5–2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, a milestone night for a player moving quickly through the organization.
Hayes plays the right wing with a focus on getting into high-danger areas and finishing around the crease. He relies on a quick release and an ability to read rebounds, traits that translated well from junior to the pro ranks and earned him an NHL contract despite not being drafted. His participation with the U.S. under-18 team in 2019 remains a noted early step in his development.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 12:43
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:00
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:00
- Pts/GP
- 0.00
- EV points
- 0
- Hits
- 3
- Blocks
- 0
- Takeaways
- 1
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 73.0 %
- Off. zone starts
- 40.0 %
- Faceoffs
- 100.0 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
Prospect value
Scout Report Center →Rank
359
among all 32 teams' prospects
Rating
58/ 100
percentile among prospects at his position
Potential
35/ 80
Fringe
Ceiling: 0.7 WAR from age 21 to 26
NHL probability
15 %
of playing 200 NHL games from age 21 to 26
Expected WAR, age 21-26
0.5
the most likely outcome
NHLe
35
NHL points over 82 games, from 2025-26 (AHL, 42 games)
Player ratings, 2025-26
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 15 %
77
Established NHL
- SK
- Skating
- 72
- Confidence 40 %
- ST
- Strength
- 74
- Confidence 18 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 63
- Confidence 0 %
- DU
- Durability
- 51
- Confidence 40 %
- CK
- Checking
- 78
- Confidence 18 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 86
- Confidence 9 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 84
- Confidence 18 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 70
- Confidence 15 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 81
- Confidence 15 %
- DF
- Defense
- 74
- Confidence 13 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 28
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating72
- Top speed (35 %)35.6 · 69
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)5.455 · 74
- Distance /60 (20 %)16.1 · 73
- Speed consistency (15 %)35.3 · 75
ST — Strength74
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)4.673 · 81
- Body mass (50 %)-0.934 · 67
EN — Endurance63
- Ice time per game (45 %)13.9 · 68
- Total ice time (20 %)175 · 35
- Shift length (15 %)46.2 · 76
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)1.716 · 68
DU — Durability51
- Share of games played (100 %)0.627 · 51
CK — Checking78
- Hits /60 (70 %)5.651 · 79
- Season volume (10 %)3.178 · 61
FG — Fighting86
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)1.294 · 86
DI — Discipline84
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)0.054 · 84
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.613 · 77
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.931 · 81
PA — Passing70
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.59 · 69
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.397 · 69
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)0.072 · 74
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.577 · 80
SC — Scoring81
- Goals /60 (25 %)1.154 · 83
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.953 · 80
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)0.435 · 80
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)1.578 · 81
- xG per shot (10 %)0.079 · 73
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)15.6 · 80
DF — Defense74
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0 · 74
- Relative xG against (20 %)0.01 · 74
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.672 · 72
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)0.036 · 77
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-1.445 · 77
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)58.4 · 75
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)2.666 · 79
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience28
- Career regular-season games (65 %)40
- Career playoff games (25 %)0
- NHL seasons (10 %)24
OV — Overall77
- SC · Scoring (28 %)81
- PA · Passing (22 %)70
- DF · Defense (18 %)74
- SK · Skating (12 %)72
- EN · Endurance (8 %)63
- DI · Discipline (5 %)84
- ST · Strength (4 %)74
- CK · Checking (3 %)78
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2025-26
How we rate →PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against players at the same position (50 = average player), starting from the player's strength, offensive or defensive. Value Rating compares that performance with what the player costs: 50 means paid what the play is worth.
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
0.5
wins above replacement
-0.0 to 1.5 — 90% interval
235 of 615 forwards
+2.7 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- -0.1
- EV defense
- 0.0
- Power play
- 0.0
- Penalty kill
- 0.0
- Shooting
- +1.8
- Penalties
- +0.5
- Average → replacement
- +0.5
In goals.
Player tracking (NHL EDGE)
League EDGE leaderboards →Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
- Hardest shot
- 126.7 km/h30th percentileleague avg. 130.1 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 31.8 km/h1st percentileleague avg. 35.2 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 00th percentileleague avg. 21
- Offensive zone time
- 44.0 %72nd percentileleague avg. 43.1 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 3.2 km1st percentileleague avg. 52.2 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 3.17 km12th percentileleague avg. 4.52 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 44.0 %91st percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
- Neutral zone time
- 16.6 %2nd percentileleague avg. 16.8 %
- Defensive zone time
- 39.4 %53rd percentileleague avg. 40.1 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 517th percentile | 024th percentile | 0.0 %3rd percentile |
| High danger | 115th percentile | 034th percentile | 0.0 %10th percentile |
| Mid range | 119th percentile | 054th percentile | 0.0 %32nd percentile |
| Long range | 272nd percentile | 092nd percentile | 0.0 %87th percentile |
Shots on goal by zone
2026-2027 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Game log, 2026-27
NSHAvery Hayes: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Avery Hayes have in 2026-27?
Avery Hayes has 0 goals and 0 points (0 assists) in 1 game in 2026-27.
How old is Avery Hayes?
Avery Hayes is 24 years old: he was born on October 10, 2002.
How tall is Avery Hayes, and how much does he weigh?
Avery Hayes is 5'10" (178 cm) and weighs 190 lb (86 kg).
Where is Avery Hayes from?
United States: Avery Hayes was born in Westland, Michigan, United States.
What team does Avery Hayes play for?
Avery Hayes plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL, at R, wearing number 85.
Is Avery Hayes injured?
No: Avery Hayes is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Avery Hayes?
Avery Hayes produced 0.5 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 235th of 615 players at his position in the NHL.
How much does Avery Hayes make?
Avery Hayes carries a cap hit of $830K per season, on a contract worth $1.7M in total over 2 years.
When does Avery Hayes's contract end?
Avery Hayes's contract runs through the 2026-27 season; he will then be a restricted free agent.
Is Avery Hayes a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 235th of 615 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
What are Avery Hayes's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Avery Hayes has 17 games, 5 goals, 0 assists and 5 points. His best season: 2025-26, with 5 points in 16 games.
How does Avery Hayes perform in the playoffs?
Avery Hayes has not played in the NHL playoffs yet.
Does Avery Hayes have siblings?
Yes: his brother Gavin Hayes (plays for the Rockford IceHogs as a prospect of the Chicago Blackhawks; drafted in the third round in 2022), his brother Travis Hayes (forward for the Soo Greyhounds; the Penguins drafted him in the fourth round in 2025), his brother Elijah Hayes (drafted 241st overall by the Soo Greyhounds in the 2025 OHL Priority Selection).
What is Avery Hayes's nationality?
Avery Hayes is American. Internationally: represented the United States under-18 team at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Where did Avery Hayes play before turning pro?
played major junior in the Ontario Hockey League for the Hamilton Bulldogs, later traded to the Peterborough Petes.
See also: his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)