When Loui Eriksson looks his talents west on Friday, he also took along the 30 goals he scored for the Boston Bruins last year. The Bruins countered by signing David Backes, who himself potted 21 goals for the St. Louis Blues in 2015-16.
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Backes brings an experienced, physical brand of hockey to Boston. A six-time 20 goal scorer, he also throws his 6’3″, 230 lb. frame around quite liberally, registering 200 hits a year. Another player on the Bruins roster is even bigger, at 6’5″ and 205 lbs. That player, of course, is Jimmy Hayes.
It was just a little over a year ago that the Bruins shipped Reilly Smith, and the rights to Marc Savard (basically a contract dump) to the Florida Panther in exchange for the Dorchester native. Smith was coming off of a year in Boston in which he had scored 13 goals, which was down from the 20 he had in 2013-14. Hayes was coming off of two years in Florida in which he scored 11 goals in 52 games in 2012-13, and then 19 goals in 72 games the following year. Bruins fans were hopeful that they may have a perennial 20 goal scorer with size and sandpaper in his game.
What the Bruins received though, was a streaky player with size and more paper-mache in his game than sandpaper. Most of his 29 points would come in short spurts of three straight games, or four out of five games, but there were often long lapses in which he was held pointless. The longest drought occurred late in the year, when he was held without a point in the final sixteen games.
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Hayes did throw his ample frame around, coming in fifth on the Bruins in hits. Matt Beleskey led the team with 260, and the next forward was Zac Rinaldo, who registered 154 hits while playing in only 52 games. Rinaldo is seven inches shorter than Hayes, and is nearly 30 pounds lighter, and despite playing in 23 games fewer than Hayes, still had 26 more hits.
What the Bruins need from Jimmy Hayes this upcoming season will be the following: goals, truculence, testosterone, belligerence, and maybe some pugnacity thrown in there as well. While fighting isn’t as prevalent in the National Hockey League as is once was, Hayes dropped the gloves twice last year, compared to Rinaldo’s six bouts and Beleskey’s five. Certainly there must be an ex-boxer, or someone schooled in the sweet science who frequents the Eire Pub and might be able to help Hayes up his pugilistic prowess.
What will endear Hayes most to Bruins fans is a solid effort, night in and night out. While maybe boxing can be taught, size cannot, and he is blessed with a mammoth frame. Dorchester is a working man’s neighborhood, and they produce real men with solid work ethics. He has to put that frame to use, every shift, every game. There is no excuse not to.