New York Rangers: Rookie Kevin Hayes Should Stay When Derek Stepan Returns

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I would say many fans believe that New York Rangers rookie Kevin Hayes will be sent down to the AHL once center Derek Stepan returns from injury.  Stepan, by the way, has not played in a regular season game thus far, as he suffered a fractured fibula during training camp, and should be out until early/mid-November.  But when Stepan is ready to come back, being the team’s number one center and all, a center will need to be sent down upon his return to the Rangers starting lineup.  However, I do not think this center will be Hayes.

Hayes’ big bodied, 6-foot-5, 225 pound frame down the middle is something the Rangers have seriously lacked from their center position for years.

However, just having a big body means nothing.  You have to be able to play and be an effective player, which Hayes keeps showing with each passing game that he can.  Playing center, in between the red hot Rick Nash and his college buddy Chris Kreider, has certainly helped Hayes feel more comfortable and confident out there, something he did not look during the preseason.

Now I know one of the primary jobs of a center is to win faceoffs, and that Hayes is near the bottom of the league in faceoff percentage with 24.6%, but you have to remember that center is not his natural position.  Buffalo Sabres rookie Sam Reinhart is just as bad as Hayes on faceoffs, also operating at 24.6%, and Reinhart is a natural center.  It is common for rookies to struggle in the faceoff circle at the NHL level, especially if you are a rookie whose natural position is not center, like Hayes.

Winning faceoffs is always something you can work on and get better at.  You can teach a young player how to be better at faceoffs but you cannot teach a player instincts, and I have liked what I’ve seen in that department out of Hayes.  He is patient with the puck, he knows when and how to forecheck, he is solid defensively, and knows how to use his body to shield the puck from defenders, which increases possession time, leads to defensive breakdowns for the opposition, and allows for a better chance to create offense.  Yes, I just went analytical there.

But if Hayes stays then that would mean I think Chris Mueller should be sent down when Stepan comes back right?

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Wrong.

I like Mueller and I think he can really help on the power play so I would not want to send him down.  If it was my choice I would put Mueller on the 4th line and, like I’ve said probably a million times already, rotate agitators Tanner Glass and Ryan Malone, similar to what the Rangers did last season with Derek Dorsett and Daniel Carcillo.

We will have to wait and see how this all plays out but if Hayes continues to impress and improve, especially in the faceoff circle, I don’t know how or why you would send him down to Hartford when Stepan comes back from injury.