Yale's John Hayden Returning for Senior Season

Yale senior-to-be John Hayden confirmed to Scott Powers of The Athletic that he will return to New Haven for his senior season with the Bulldogs, rather than signing with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Hayden was selected in the third round 74th overall by the Blackhawks in the 2013 NHL Draft out of the US National Development Team Program. This past season was Hayden's most individually successful season, scoring 16 goals and adding seven assists for a career-high 23 points in 32 games this year.

We ranked Hayden as the 91st best NHL prospect in the NCAA this past season:

91. John Hayden, Forward, Yale (Chicago Blackhawks)

Hayden is a true power forward that uses his size in front of the net to be an effective goal-scorer. His lopsided 16-7-23 scoring line in 31 games this season shows that he's more of a finisher than a set-up guy. Hayden is also a smart, effective player on the defensive end of the ice. Foot speed will be the biggest issue to overcome for the big forward at the pro level, but he might be a smart enough player to overcome those issues and be an effective third or fourth line forward at the NHL level.