Hayes scored his first goal in 15 games in Saturday night's 2-1 shootout win over Boston. It's his 18th of the season, but he's been mired in a massive funk of late. Fingers crossed this means he's back on track. We're hopeful, but realistic, too -- we're not re-activating him until he proves he's worthy.

Hayes will be scratched for Thursday night's game against the Red Wings, George Richards of the Miami Herald reports. Hayes is second on the team with 17 goals, but has just one point in his last six games and hasn't scored a goal since Feb. 17, posting a minus-7 plus/minus since his last goal. Hayes' fantasy value takes a severe hit if he's not in the lineup, but the team's second leading goal scorer likely won't be a fixture of their scratch card.

Hayes handed out two assists in Tuesday's loss to the Maple Leafs. The two helpers allowed Hayes to snap a seven-game pointless slide, matching his longest drought of the season. Despite the slump, Hayes is still regarded as one of the Panthers' most effective finishers at the net. His 17 goals on the campaign trail rank him second on the team behind Nick Bjugstad (22).

Hayes scores his 17th goal of the season in the Panthers' 3-2 win over the Maple Leafs on Tuesday.Hayes is second on the team in goals despite missing nine games this season. His presence on the power-play makes him an intriguing prospect in deeper leagues, but the Panthers' difficulty scoring hinders his value.

Hayes scored a goal and added an assist -- both on the man advantage -- in Tuesday's 6-2 win over Anaheim.Hayes' recent string of production continues, as he has three goals and two helpers in the last four games. He's of some interest in deeper fantasy formats, though he's not likely to develop into a consistent source of offense in the short term.

Hayes scored the Panthers' first goal, then notched the game-winner on a third-period power play Tuesday against the Islanders. Hayes entered the game without a point in seven straight, but took advantage of his 15:14 of ice time in this one to deliver strong production. With 15 goals in 40 games this year, he's on the equivalent of a 30-goal pace.

Hayes will be a healthy scratch for Saturday's game against the Devils, Harvey Fialkov of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. With a respectable 13 goals in 38 games this season, Hayes has occasionally shown a nose for the net for the Panthers, but not frequently enough lately. He's been absent from the score sheet for the last six games, despite putting up 17 shot attempts during that stretch. Tomas Fleischmann draws into Saturday's lineup in his stead.

Hayes scored a goal and finished with a plus-2 rating in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Oilers. Hayes has now scored in consecutive games as he continues to heat up with six goals in his last nine contests. The 25-year-old has already set a career-high with his 13 goals and 20 points, and is on pace to end up around the 40-point mark for the season.

Hayes tallied a goal and laid seven hits in Wednesday's loss to the Rangers. Hayes has assumed a role on the Panthers' second line of late and has been one of the team's top finishers. He's scored four times in his last four games, which should keep his spot in the lineup secure for the time being.

Hayes potted two goals in Monday's 4-3 win over the Penguins. Hayes had been struggling of late which led to being a healthy scratch on Saturday, but he could continue to earn back trust with Monday's performance which also featured five shots and a plus-3 rating to go along with the two goals. The 25-year-old now has nine goals in 24 contests and Monday's effort could signal the end to his recent slump.