Kevin Hayes worried he’d never get back to 100 percent, finally feeling true progress

DENVER --As Kevin Hayes tried and failed multiple times to return to the ice, there came a point where he started to wonder if he would ever get back to the player he was before his injury.

“I was pretty down about everything,” Hayes said. “And luckily we figured out the exact thing that happened.”

Looking back at his journey through injury, Hayes said no one ever thought about checking his blood to see if it might be responsible for his struggles. Instead, they kept pointing to potential problems with his surgery and his rehab. Finally, on Jan. 18, they drained fluid from his adductor after realizing he had a blood infection.

On March 5, Hayes returned to play, and he’s been on the ice ever since. While Hayes is not yet at 100%, he looks much better compared to previous attempts to return.

“I feel way better than I’ve felt in a couple years,” Hayes said. “I feel better and better every game. I feel more confident with the puck, better with my speed. And I’m just trying to build towards getting back to 100 percent.”

Hayes recorded an assist in his first game back on March 5. Since then, his game has been steadily improving. On March 17, Hayes scored a goal and had an assist in a 5-4 win over Nashville. It was his first two-point game since Dec. 6. He’s since scored two goals against the New York Islanders and recorded two assists against the Detroit Red Wings and the St. Louis Blues.

With Hayes contributing again, the Flyers have gotten a dangerous weapon back.

“When you’ve got a centerman with that size and Kevin reads the game real well, too,” interim coach Mike Yeo said. “So he’s a tough guy to play against in the defensive zone, obviously, teams want to hang on to the puck. But with that reach and his anticipation, he’s able to allow you to defend quicker, which is real important in this NHL today.”

But Hayes still doesn’t feel he’s at his best. What did that look like? When he first arrived in Philadelphia in 2019, Hayes felt he played with the puck more, created more chances and was more dynamic on the penalty kill. Most importantly, he felt like he made everyone around him better.

Thursday’s game against the Blues showed that skill is coming back as Hayes helped set Travis Konecny up for his two-goal game. They demonstrated the chemistry they have as friends carries onto the ice, and Yeo said he’d like to see more of it moving forward.

Hayden Hodgson impressed in his NHL debut, but one game doesn’t provide all the answers. Yeo said he’s one of the many question marks the Flyers have as they look at their future.

Ahead of Friday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, Yeo wasn’t sure if Hodgson would play. He had come in for Oskar Lindblom the night before, but Lindblom was feeling better Friday. There’s also another forward who the Flyers were unsure about.

The Flyers received good news about Nate Thompson, who has been out with an upper body injury. However, without any practices and skates, there are too many questions about Thompson’s health and game-readiness. Yeo said it’s a tricky situation because they’d like to bring Thompson’s experience and penalty-kill skills back into the lineup.

“In a perfect world, we’d get him out there and have a full practice with the group,” Yeo said. “I just don’t know if we’re gonna have that opportunity or that luxury. But at the same time, we’re also not gonna rush him back.”

The Flyers played the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on Friday night... Sean Couturier was on the ice Friday morning in Denver, but Yeo said he was not there and didn’t know how it went. Couturier is not returning this season, but Yeo said he has been getting onto the ice here and there. ... The Flyers broke a 13-game road skid Thursday night but flew to Denver for a back to back. While the win has given the team some energy, Yeo said they’ll need to be careful. They’re playing one of the strongest teams in the league and doing it in a high-altitude location.