New York Rangers: Kevin Hayes needs to avoid being the odd man out

New York Rangers center Kevin Hayes had the fifth highest points on the roster during the 2016-17 regular season. With his contract expiring at the end of the 2018 season and with more responsibility on his shoulders, Hayes needs to prove his worth.

Kevin Hayes, who started his career with the Rangers back in 2014, played his best seasons in New York this year, finishing with 17 goals and 32 assists for 49 points.

His production seemingly disappeared in the 2017 playoffs, where he had just three assists in 12 games. As one of the Rangers top point producers, the team suffered because of this, which resulted in an early postseason exit.

Nine players on the New York Rangers’ roster have contracts that are expiring at the end of the 2017-18 season. There is a chance that Hayes, who will be a restricted free agent (RFA), could get caught up in the chaos.

Hayes needs to make a statement this season and show that he is an invaluable piece of the Rangers offense. Otherwise, the Rangers risk losing a player who still has room to develop and could become a franchise player.

Past Struggles

With five players (Hayes, J.T. Miller, Brady Skjei, Jimmy Vesey, and Matt Puempel) becoming RFAs and an additional four (Rick Nash, Michael Grabner, Nick Holden and David Desharnais) becoming unrestricted free agents, the Rangers will have decisions to make about what is most important to their future.

It is no secret that Hayes has had his differences with Rangers’ head coach Alain Vigneault in his three years on the roster. Arguably, most of Hayes’s struggles in his second season stemmed from these issues with his coach who demoted him and decreased his playing time in the wake of mistakes.

And his problems — perhaps not seen on the surface — bled into last season.

Hayes had somewhat of a strange year for the Rangers. Despite his high production statistics, Hayes had the lowest Corsi-for percentage of any New York Rangers forward finishing 2016-17 at 43.9%.

This likely in part due to the way Hayes’s role shifted during the season. Vigneault played him mostly in defensive situations. The 24-year-old started 60 percent of his of his shifts in the defensive zone.

With such a skewed statistic, it is incredible that Hayes even appeared on the stat sheet during the season, and was likely a factor that played into why he struggled during the postseason.

What needs to happen

Vigneault needs to use Hayes properly.

The Grabner, Miller, Hayes line was a ton of fun to watch and was one of the Rangers most successful lines, points wise. However, all three players struggled when it came to their production statistics.

Hayes has size and speed. This, alongside his vision and ability to predict what his teammates will do, is part of the reason he has been so successful.

He will thrive with someone who has the ability to possess the puck. And this year, he has the opportunity.

Hayes will without a doubt have to step up in a big way in order to fill the second line center role. However, the potential of him being able to play Rick Nash (who is a perfect example of someone that can foster Hayes’s ability) gives him a great opportunity to do so.

A player’s success should be measured in different ways.

Hayes doesn’t necessarily have to go out and break 60 points (though wouldn’t it be nice), but he absolutely needs to make an impact. He needs to prove that he is solid and consistent and can continue to make his linemates better while playing with him.

Final Thoughts

The Rangers have taken Kevin Hayes for granted in many ways. With the way that he came out at the start of 2016, he proved that he has the talent to make an impact. It is a matter of putting him in the right role to help him grow to his full potential.

This year is an opportunity.

If the coaching staff uses Hayes properly and, he will produce. So long as Hayes produces, he will land another contract. However, if things go wrong, the Rangers could risk losing a talented young player.

Next: 2017-18 Player Preview: Kevin Hayes

There is no doubt that Hayes can become the player that the Rangers have always wanted him to be. But if the Rangers continue to misuse and take his talent for granted, there is a chance that he could do so on another roster. And there is always a chance this could come back to haunt them.

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