Khmelyovsky to center or a chance for Saberzyanov? How “Ak Bars” will change with Hayes's departure

Hayes found adaptation to the KHL very hard, although the coaching staff of “Ak Bars” was ready to wait until he regained form

When at the end of August it became known that “Ak Bars” had achieved the transfer of forward Kevin Hayes, the fans' delight over the deal went in parallel with skepticism from the media. Slow speed, a tendency to injuries — much was written about these “pigs in a poke” of the American. However, there were also positive words — 800 matches in the NHL, impressive statistics in them, experience and mastery that, as they say, you cannot drink away.

On the whole, Hayes's first season in the KHL looked very promising indeed. “Ak Bars” did not stint on the American's fee, writing him a check with a salary of 80 million rubles. Besides, in bonuses in Kazan the forward could have earned another 50 million rubles if he had made it into the top-3 scorers based on the results of the KHL regular championship.

The coaching staff of “Ak Bars” almost instantly signaled a lenient position toward Hayes as soon as he arrived in Russia.

— We understood that a messiah would not come to us who would immediately score all the goals. He would need at least 10—12 matches for adaptation, the Kazan team's head coach Anvar Gatiyatulin told journalists.

Hayes indeed received full credit of trust from the head coach of “Ak Bars.” He was given a place on the power play; the American's ice time averaged no less than 15 minutes per match. But in five games in the Kazan club's lineup Hayes showed absolutely nothing interesting that could give hope for his transformation in the future.

After all, it is one thing when, for example, a hockey player simply is not scoring, while he is always active and noticeable on the ice. And another — when the result follows from a pattern. Hayes's 0+0 in five KHL matches is a logical confluence of circumstances. The American committed many turnovers, could not keep up with the pace of his line partners, did not fall into the rhythm of the game. In short, a complete impression formed that Hayes had not the slightest idea what hockey in the KHL is.

“Hayes explained his position, we treated it with respect”

Probably, being an impressionable person, the American made the decision to end his career impulsively, on emotions. Although, we repeat, Anvar Gatiyatulin and his coaching staff were ready to wait until Hayes regained form. And the hockey players of “Ak Bars” in informal conversations with a “Real Time” correspondent never once spoke about the experienced forward in any unflattering way.

— Was Hayes bad in these five KHL matches? Possibly, statistically, it did not go for him. But you do not understand what a figure he is as a hockey player. 800 NHL matches cannot be played if you are a so-so player or a “deceiver” on the ice. He will still regain form, you will see, one of the “Ak Bars” hockey players told a “Real Time” correspondent.

Be that as it may, we will no longer see Kevin Hayes in an “Ak Bars” jersey. The forward made his admission about ending his career at the morning press conference, when the Kazan team was preparing for the match with “Lada.”

— Today I made the decision to end my career as a hockey player. I can no longer play at the level I am capable of, because my body does not allow me to show my maximum. And I cannot reconcile myself to not being in my best form. Everyone will have their own opinion, but no one understands the condition of a hockey player better than he himself. I have played for a long time, I feel my body perfectly. I understand that if I had stayed another month, the result would have been the same. I worked in the summer, prepared for the season, although I missed the preseason camps; in the games I understood that my legs no longer move as they should, Hayes said.

Anvar Gatiyatulin, in turn, said the following about Hayes's decision to end his career:

— Yesterday we talked with Kevin for a long time. He explained his position, we treated it with respect. When his candidacy appeared, we studied his career in detail — how it went, how it changed. From the training and the games it was visible that he has a good understanding of the game, good hands. But when the body no longer keeps up with the thought, such difficulties arise. But we see from his decision that Kevin definitely did not come here to serve out a stint. We only thanked him. As for the team, our tasks do not change: we continue to prepare a balanced roster. Selection goes on daily, we will work in the realities that exist, the head coach of “Ak Bars” stated.

Hayes stands in line with other “legends” of “Ak Bars”

Summing up the Hayes topic, it must be said that it was not only the sporting component that influenced his choice in favor of ending his professional career and his unwillingness to play further in Russia. We do not exclude that the hockey player could have been impressed by the difficult away trip to Sochi, during which a drone attack occurred on the city. Besides, several years ago the American's older brother died, which also left a mark on his emotional state.

In any case, as Anvar Gatiyatulin rightly noted, Hayes's revelations are a genuine masculine act. The American could easily have stayed at “Ak Bars” until the end of the season and drawn his entire salary down to the last kopeck from the Kazan club. But the hockey player acted honestly before his conscience and the club's management, which had given him a chance to prove himself in another league.

Yes, the American's arrival continues the line of failed legionnaire transfers for the management of “Ak Bars” in recent years. Hayes stands in line with such “legends” as Wyatt Kalynuk, Brandon Biro, Riley Barber, Nick Petan.

But at the same time, no matter how you look at it, the deal with Hayes does not leave an unpleasant aftertaste. According to the KHL regulations, the American will not receive any money for the early termination of the contract. In essence, Kevin will take from “Ak Bars” only the salary for one month. That is approximately 8 million rubles.

How will Anvar Gatiyatulin rebuild the lines at “Ak Bars” after Hayes's departure? Will he move Khmelyovsky from the wing to center or give Saberzyanov a chance?

Now “Ak Bars” has to understand how to behave on the transfer market. At the press conference after the match with “Lada” (3:2 OT), Anvar Gatiyatulin clearly stated that the club counts on finding a new center forward for the team in the near future.

— We signed Kevin for the role of one of the leading centers, so now we will need to look for players for this position. As for strengthening in general, nothing has changed here: selection work continues. In parallel we will work with those who are already in the team, develop the young ones and look for stability in the lines and in the team game, Gatiyatulin said.

Whether “Ak Bars” will go to the North American market after the miss with Hayes is a big question. And of the currently free agents on the KHL market, the only one that comes to mind is perhaps the ex-forward of “Avtomobilist," Stéphane Da Costa. But the player's advanced age and his negative background in Kazan hardly dispose one to the idea that the Frenchman could end up at “Ak Bars.”

The two other options are the most obvious for the Kazan team's coaching staff.

The first — to move Alexander Khmelyovsky to the center of the second line. As Anvar Gatiyatulin stated, the forward recently himself approached him with the desire to change position. Khmelyovsky's impulse to leave the left wing and move to center is understandable. After all, it was precisely in this position that he shone and glittered when he played for “Salavat Yulaev” before the transfer to “Ak Bars.”

— We never closed this option [moving Khmelyovsky to center]. Sasha today looked good both in the forecheck and in playing without the puck. We hope he will keep improving further. Last season we had a different roster, and then we saw that he looked more effective on the wing. Now the team has been greatly renewed, so we will consider different options. Before the match we discussed this; it is visible that Sasha heard it. We will analyze and build on that, Gatiyatulin said.

The second and no less curious option — to finally give a full-fledged chance to prove himself in the KHL to the forward Malika Saberzyanov. The forward born in 2006 went through the entire summer preseason with “Ak Bars” and took part in the August Moscow Mayor's Cup.

Saberzyanov was a star of “Irbis” in the MHL and went to the Challenge Cup in Novosibirsk in 2025. Last season he was a leader of “Bars” in the VHL; the player was much praised by the team's head coach Alexander Stepanov.

Saberzyanov is a forward of modest dimensions, but the forward's skating and hockey intellect outweigh all his shortcomings. Malik has long been waiting for a chance to show himself in the KHL. And against the background of Hayes's emergency departure, Anvar Gatiyatulin seems to have no better occasion to endow the young player with trust.