Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

With more talent in the system than Pittsburgh has had in years - and 13 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft - top prospects lists are becoming more competitive and more difficult to discern. Since the prospect pool is deepening, The Hockey News - Pittsburgh Penguins takes a look at the top-20 prospects in the organization. 

Next up is our pick for No. 17, an undrafted forward who has earned his way into the NHL roster conversation and was a key part of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) AHL lineup last season: Avery Hayes.

#17: F Avery Hayes

It was quite the year for Hayes, 22, last season, as he followed up an injury-riddled 2023-24 AHL campaign with one that really caught the eye of the Penguins' organization.

In 60 games played this season, Hayes registered 23 goals and 42 points, including six game-winning goals. His performance in 2024-25 earned him a two-year entry-level contract with the Penguins, which kicks in next season.

But it's not just the production that has endeared Hayes to the Penguins. He plays a hard-working, straight-line style, as he drives the net, plays bigger than his 5-foot-10, 175-pound frame, and has the playmaking ability and awareness to thrive in a middle-six role. 

Hayes also offers versatility to his game, as he plays in all situations and can slot up and down the lineup. He excels in the small-area game, and he consistently wins puck battles and can make plays and create chances in the danger areas of the ice.

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In fact, there is not much to dislike about the way Hayes plays the game. In some respects, his work ethic and style is similar to that of Penguins' top winger Bryan Rust, who broke his way into the league as a fourth-liner and worked his way to evolving into a top-six winger over time. 

Hayes might not have the makings of a hybrid power forward like Rust, but it's difficult to argue that he's set the stage quite nicely for himself for have a legitimate shot at the NHL roster next season. His game is malleable in the sense that he is capable of filling different roles in a lineup, and his all-around game is strong enough to make a push for a spot. 

It will be interesting to see how Hayes continues to progress, regardless of where he ends up on the organizational depth chart next season. Either way, he will be a player to keep an eye on, as he could very well climb the prospect ranks rather quickly with another strong season.

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Feature Image Credit: Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images