He’s already back: Penguins recall Avery Hayes

This article originally appeared on PGHHockeyNOW.

Welcome back, Kid. The Pittsburgh Penguins wasted no time following the expiration of the NHL roster freeze Monday to recall scrappy forward Avery Hayes from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL.

Hayes, 23, played in the final game before the two-week Olympic break and scored two goals in the Penguins’ win over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. The winger drew high praise from coach Dan Muse, who didn’t hide his appreciation for Hayes’s overall game while speaking on the record and after his postgame media availability when the cameras were off.

Hayes is the 23rd man on the Penguins roster, but Filip Hallander is currently with the WBS Penguins on a conditioning assignment. The Penguins will have to make a move to activate Hallander from injured reserve next week.

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