Hayes saw 60 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in his sophomore AHL season. He scored 23 goals and added 18 assists and 58 penalty minutes. Also worth noting were his 2.35 shots per game, 10 power play points and 13:5 A1 to A2 ratio. Hayes is a relatively unknown commodity in fantasy circles, having not been drafted and just signing his ELC recently, he is rostered in just 4% of Fantrax leagues.

He managed to break the point per game mark in his final two OHL seasons, and his Swiss Army Knife category filling in his early AHL career makes him an intriguing low-risk stash in deeper leagues. If he manages to see time at the NHL level, he likely will be in a bottom six role which will mute that offensive production. But a lower AAV player who can be acquired cheaply and provide depth is valuable both for NHL teams and fantasy teams alike.

On March 13, 2025, the Pittsburgh Penguins signed Hayes to a two-year entry-level contract starting in the 2025-26 season.