It came down to the last minute, but Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon has gotten Jimmy Hayes, the last of the club’s seven RFAs this off-season, to sign on the line which is dotted.
Hayes and the Panthers have agreed to a one-year, one-way deal worth $925,000 according to the Sun Sentinel. The two sides were scheduled for an arbitration hearing today. Florida acquired the Boston native from the Chicago Blackhawks on November 14, 2013 as part of the return for veteran Kris Versteeg.
#FlaPanthers agree to one-year contract with @Jimmy10Hayes. READ: http://t.co/A6OTXdAZnG pic.twitter.com/M0j7B1lsHS
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) July 29, 2014
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Jimmy,” said Tallon. “We look forward to his continued contributions to our team both on and off the ice.”
In 53 games with the Cats, Hayes scored 11 goals and 7 assists, and became an effective part of the team’s power play late in the season. The 24-year-old will look to carve out ice time among the Cats’ increasingly crowded-looking bottom-six.