New York Rangers: Kevin Hayes key to success under Alain Vigneault

The New York Rangers’ center depth is being sorely tested after an injury to Kevin Hayes.

The New York Rangers’ season is seemingly teetering on the edge. With no regulation wins in their previous ten games before beating Philadelphia on January 16, questions abound.

One of the more interesting is the status of Kevin Hayes, who was banged up against Vegas before the Rangers’ bye week. He played in their first game after, a 7-2 loss vs. the Islanders, but was on the injury report against Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Absent his top shutdown center, head coach Alain Vigneault elected to send Boo Nieves back to the AHL, call up Peter Holland, and shift J.T. Miller to center.

Vigneault’s move paid off in the short term—the Rangers beat the Flyers, 5-1. Holland had a shorthanded assist, but it was the play of Rick Nash that moved the needle. Most of all, it was miscues on Philadelphia’s part that led to multiple breakaways.

Without Hayes, it would be foolish to assume the Rangers will consistently win games like that. A center lineup of Mika Zibanejad, Miller, Holland, and David Desharnais is among the worst in the league.

Hayes’ evolving value

Since the Derek Stepan trade, Hayes has become the New York Rangers’ most important even-strength center. Vigneault depends on Hayes (often with Nash on his wing) to duel opponents’ best players.

On top of that, Hayes has evolved into a key penalty killer. While the Rangers’ power play has been inconsistent at times, their penalty kill is among the best in the league.

Though his scoring is down this season, it’s more important for the Rangers that Hayes keeps rounding out his game. Under Vigneault’s system, which depends on defensive turnovers and rush attacks, Hayes’ role must be effective.

Besides, Hayes’ reduced offensive numbers are in part due to his reduced power play time. Vigneault’s insistence on playing Desharnais on the second unit means Hayes has gotten very little opportunity with the man advantage. The result is that Hayes must produce at even strength against other teams’ top lines. It’s a lot to ask from a young center in just his fourth season, but that’s the reality under Vigneault.

Managing health

Perhaps most concerning for the New York Rangers is Hayes’ health. He has missed two straight games, and played only three minutes against Vegas before being injured. While injuries happen to everyone, and there’s no predicting them, it’s troubling how the team handled Hayes.

He played against the Islanders after the bye week (and scored a goal). But he was clearly not 100% healthy, as he hasn’t played since. There was no indication that Hayes aggravated a healed injury, as he played big minutes against the Islanders.

If he wasn’t totally healthy and was sent onto the ice anyway, it smacks of desperation. Ryan McDonagh was forced into a similar situation this year, too. The fact that the Rangers are in such a poor situation that they must play injured players simply to stay afloat is an indictment on both the coaching staff and the trainers.

Next: Hayes stepping into Stepan's skates

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