The New Jersey Devils made the right decision when the selected Nico Hischier first overall at the 2017 NHL Draft. That was always clear, but it became even more clear on Tuesday night when the team that picked number two handed out a large contract to a center. The Philadelphia Flyers gave Kevin Hayes a seven-year, $50 million contract with a cap hit of 7.14.
Hayes is a great player, but that is a bit much for a player of his caliber. This isn’t about Kevin Hayes though. This is about Nolan Patrick, who the Flyers took with the number two pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.