[sureLoss]

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/blac...prospect-hayes

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said Tuesday that he was still optimistic he could sign Hayes. The Blackhawks hosted Hayes recently during Game 5 of the Western Conference finals. Bowman said he spoke to Hayes then.

“We said since the day we finished school we’ve been talking to him all year and all four years of college,” Bowman said. “We want to sign him. I think he just wanted to take his time and decide what’s best for him. [We're] very hopeful that he wants to be part of our group.

“I think when he sees the way that we play. His skill set is very comparable to the players that have had success here. I think it’s a great fit for Kevin. He’s 22 years old, so he’s not in that 19-year-old category. He may not be a guy who has to spend a long time developing. So that's the benefit of leaving a player in college for four years. He’s got a lot of talent.”

ESPN NHL Draft and Prospects analyst Corey Pronman didn’t believe Hayes would be ready to crack the Blackhawks’ lineup immediately if he signed with the organization. He ranked the 6-foot-2, 201-pound Hayes behind Teravainen and forward Ryan Hartman, the team’s 2013 first-round pick, and right with defenseman Adam Clendening and forwards Phillip Danault and Mark McNeill among the Blackhawks’ top prospects.

“[Hayes] could be a second-line winger as an unusually skilled player for his size possibly, but will need AHL seasoning as needs to rounds out game and improve his consistency,” Pronman said.

Bowman was still open to Hayes playing wing or center.

“He played his first three years as center, and this last year he was on the wing,” Bowman said. “He was part of the best line in college hockey. They dominated. It’s certainly nice to see him be able to do both. He’s got the combination of size and skill, and that’s hard to find.”