NHL trade rumors: Philadelphia Flyers trade talks over Kevin Hayes in limbo

The Philadelphia Flyers' attempt to trade center Kevin Hayes to the St. Louis Blues appears to be in limbo, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

The Flyers, who have been undergoing a rebuilding phase and recently traded defenseman Ivan Provorov, planned to send Hayes and defenseman Travis Sanheim to the Blues in the deal. Philadelphia would retain a significant portion of Hayes' $7.14 million cap hit for the next three seasons to make the financial aspect more favorable for St. Louis.

As per NHL rules, the Flyers can retain up to 50 percent of Hayes' cap hit in every remaining year. The trade was also supposed to include a Blues defenseman and a first-round pick going to the Flyers in exchange for Hayes (with retention) and Sanheim. However, one of the sources revealed that the Blues player involved in the trade invoked his no-trade clause, throwing the future of the deal into uncertainty.

The potential trade was an intriguing move for the Philadelphia Flyers, as they sought to reshape their roster during the rebuilding process. Sanheim, who recently signed a long-term extension with Philadelphia, became a less-than-perfect fit under the new general manager's rebuilding strategy.

Hayes had a productive season with the Philadelphia Flyers, posting 18 goals and 54 points in 81 games, earning his first All-Star game appearance. However, he faced challenges in maintaining a good relationship with coach John Tortorella.

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Uncertainty surrounds Philadelphia Flyers' trade as Torey Krug's no-trade clause complicates deal

The hold-up with the St. Louis Blues in the trade involving Kevin Hayes appears to be related to defenseman Torey Krug.

Among the Blues' defensemen, Krug is the only one with a full no-trade clause in his contract. The other defensemen with either a full or modified no-trade clause, like Colton Parayko, Nick Leddy and Justin Faulk, have not been asked to waive their clauses.

Krug, who joined the Blues in 2020 after a long tenure with the Boston Bruins, signed a seven-year, $45.5 million contract with the expectation of playing for a winning team in St. Louis.

The prospect of joining a rebuilding Philadelphia franchise may not be appealing to the 32-year-old defenseman, especially with four years remaining on his current contract.

As negotiations continue, it seems the trade will likely be scaled down from its initial discussions. Instead of involving multiple players like Travis Sanheim, Tony DeAngelo and Scott Laughton, it may now revolve around Hayes alone.

The main hurdle is Hayes' contract, which has a $7.14 million cap hit for the next three years. Even if the Flyers retain a portion of that, the Blues would need to send salary back to the Philadelphia Flyers to make the trade financially viable.