VANCOUVER, British Columbia — On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Flyers announced the signing of free-agent center Kevin Hayes to a seven-year contract that carries an annual cap hit of $7.14 million. When the terms leaked Tuesday evening, they were instantly met with incredulity on social media (as most things are nowadays, especially if they pertain to the Flyers).



When a player whose career highs are 25 goals and 55 points receives such a lucrative deal, we know that silly season is officially here.



After the initial sticker shock wore off, attention turned to Matt Duchene. As the top center on the free-agent market, Duchene stands to benefit most from Hayes’ contract. If Hayes is worth more than $7 million per season, then Duchene could easily command a $9.5 million salary from a forward-needy team.



The Predators are in the mix, but don’t expect general manager David Poile to go overboard.



The coming together of Duchene and the...