Expectations were high for Jimmy Hayes when he joined the Boston Bruins. He was this big guy who was hopefully going to be the next Milan Lucic. He was going to be the player who brought back the ‘Big Bad Bruins’ to the TD Garden. What we hoped for and what actually happened were two different stories though.
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Jimmy Hayes – Forward
Games Played: 75
Goals/Assist/Points: 13/16/29
Jimmy Hayes scored 19 goals for the Florida Panthers last year. (We traded Hayes for Reilly Smith during the offseason. Reilly Smith had such a great season, the Panthers franchise awarded him an ‘A’.) The fans and the Bruins front office were hoping to see a similar level of production. That didn’t happen. Hayes only put up thirteen goals this season.
Hayes was supposed to be this big 6’5″ monster who would make Milan Lucic look like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. Hayes didn’t use his body as effectively as he could have. In some situations he was out-muscled by players who were six inches shorter and thirty pounds lighter. By the end of the season, the ‘Pride of Dorchester’ became the ‘Pride of the Ninth Level’.
Hayes didn’t seem to fit well in to the Claude Julien system of hockey (at least this season). He created a few defensive holes this year. He also wasn’t able to be as useful in helping to close gaps caused by others. In the end, he had the team’s worst plus/minus this year, a -12.
All that being said, Hayes is capable of playing solid blue-collar hockey. He’s proven it. Now he has to figure out if he wants to remain part of the Bruins organization. If he is willing to come into next season playing smarter and meaner hockey, then the 26-year old forward will find himself a long career with the Black and Gold.
He’s just got to remember where he comes from and how they play hockey around here.
Final Grade: C-