Just before he helped the Flint Firebirds to an overtime win Monday night, Blackhawks prospect Gavin Hayes inked a three-year, entry-level deal with the team.

Profile

The 18-year-old winger was selected in the third round (66th overall) in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He was the other compensation in the deal that sent Kirby Dach to Montreal in exchange for fellow prospect Frank Nazar.

Hayes is listed at 6-foot-2 and 176 pounds. He uses his big body to create space and open looks and has a nice scoring touch. His shooting motion is smooth and knows exactly where to put his shot on the net to maximize his potential of scoring.

This season in the Ontario Hockey League, Hayes played in 66 games out of the 68 his team played in total. During those games, he set career highs in goals (41), assists (40), and points (81). He finished ninth in the entire league in goals and 20th in points.

His contract is a typical entry-level deal, worth $2.85M over three years. It carries an $896,667 cap hit annually. However, that contract will likely “slide” and start in the 2024-25 campaign. Current CHL rules force Hayes to return to junior play next season, as he isn’t yet eligible to play in the AHL.

“The Mold”

Hayes may not see the ice in the United Center anytime in the foreseeable future, but he does fit the mold of what GM Kyle Davidson has used to build his roster and prospect pool. He seems to like his wingers large in size and with a nice scoring touch. Players like Boris Katchouk and Taylor Raddysh exhibit similar traits in size and scoring. If Hayes pans out, he could add to that regime in the future.

Davidson appears to be building this roster with as much depth as possible and likes to have all of his players fit a certain mold. His wingers are mostly similar players, all big-bodied and great scorers. Meanwhile, he’s been filling his prospect pool with young centers that are a bit undersized, but play fast and with plenty of energy. Many of these prospects have the potential to rise through the ranks to the front lines of the Blackhawks. If and when they get there, the combination of fast puck handlers and big, dangerous scorers could prove lethal.

Gavin Hayes has been one of the most prolific scorers in the OHL this season, and with his campaign winding down, he was rewarded with his three-year deal. He’ll have the opportunity to step up his game even more next season, as he’s forced to stay in Flint. The brass in Chicago signed him now, though, in hopes that he’ll only take the one year to get to the level of AHL play they look for in Rockford, and will potentially contribute on the Blackhawks’ roster. They clearly have high expectations for the 18-year-old, and hopefully, he can soon deliver.