New York Rangers: Five potential trade destinations for Kevin Hayes
The New York Rangers currently have a glut of centers. While depth is always a good problem to have, the Rangers could consider trading one of their centers. One such player could be Kevin Hayes.
The New York Rangers signed Kevin Hayes out of Boston College back in the 2014 offseason after he refused to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks, the team that drafted him. Hayes made the team or of camp, and has been here ever since.
As a rookie, Hayes impressed with 17 goals and 45 points. His sophomore season saw him take a bit of a step back, as he posted 14 goals and 36 points. His third year saw him put up 17 goals and 49 points, a career high.
While Hayes originally played a primarily offensive role, former head coach Alain Vigneault decided to try and turn him into a shutdown center. Oddly enough, it worked.
While the New York Rangers were absolutely atrocious last year, Hayes was a real bright spot. He scored 25 goals and had 44 points despite starting 57.3 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone.
Hayes is a very talented player, who should thrive under new head coach David Quinn. However, rumors circulated around the Draft that he could be moved, and teams were interested. But, nothing happened and Hayes is still here.
Despite this, there is definitely still interest in Kevin Hayes from other teams around the league. With that being said, let’s take a look at five potential trade partners for Kevin Hayes.
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are an intriguing trade partner. They are in need of centers, as their top three are currently slated to be Sean Monahan, Mikael Backlund, and Mark Jankowski. Not exactly the most inspiring group. Outside of Monahan, there’s no real, big talent.
Hayes would fit in very well in Calgary, as he could fit into the second line center spot nicely. It would also give him a chance to play with former BC linemate and close friend Johnny Gaudreau.
The big question is, would Calgary be willing to give up the proper return for Hayes? After last year’s Travis Hamonic trade, the Flames most likely aren’t too keen on giving up another first round pick. If that is the case, the Rangers could target Calgary’s prospect pool, specifically on defense. Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington, and Juuso Valimaki are all talented defense prospects that the Rangers could, and should, be targeting.
Calgary was reportedly very interested in Hayes around the Draft, but nothing materialized. But, if Calgary is still interested, Jeff Gorton would be wise to listen.
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are another team who could be a good fit for Kevin Hayes.
Their top three centers are currently Logan Couture, Joe Thornton, and Chris Tierney. While Couture is a very talented player and Tierney played well last year, Thornton is on the wrong side of 40 and has bad knees. His time in the NHL is drawing to a close.
This is where Kevin Hayes comes in. Like in Calgary, he could seamlessly slot into the second line center role, behind Couture. He’d do well playing with the likes of Tomas Hertl and Joonas Donskoi.
The issue with the Sharks is what they’d have to offer. They don’t have a first round pick in 2019, due to the Evander Kane trade and subsequent re-signing.
They have some interesting young players and prospects, such as Timo Meier and Joshua Norris. If they’re willing to part with a player such as those two, as well as draft picks, there may be a deal to be worked out.
Carolina Hurricanes
Now, some of you may be thinking: “The Hurricanes are in the same division, never deal a player in the division.” Jeff Gorton doesn’t seem to care about that, as is evidenced by the Michael Grabner trade.
The Hurricanes could make a nice trading partner for the Rangers, and for Hayes. Carolina is pretty set at the top two center positions, with Teuvo Teravainen and Martin Necas. However, Jordan Staal is only getting older, and could be replaced soon.
Hayes could slot into the third line center role, or even the second line, if Necas shows he isn’t ready for top-six minutes yet. This could give Hayes the chance to play with some dynamic talent, namely Jeff Skinner (if he isn’t traded) and recent number two overall pick Andrei Svechnikov.
The Hurricanes have picks, as well as prospects that could entice the Rangers, including Julien Gauthier, Haydn Fleury, and Jake Bean. If Gorton could entice new general manager Don Waddell to part with one of these players and a draft pick, he should definitely be all over it.
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are another team who may be interested in the services of Kevin Hayes. Their top two centers of Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trochek are set, with top prospect Henrik Borgstrom set to make the full time jump to the NHL.
However, if Borgstrom isn’t ready, Hayes could slot into the third line center role nicely. He’d fit in as a shutdown center with offensive prowess. Even if Borgstrom does prove to be ready, Hayes could be moved to the wing, where he has experience playing.
Florida has some nice pieces to offer, including picks and prospects. While a prospect like Owen Tippett is most likely off limits, somebody like Aleksi Heponiemi or Adam Mascherin could be in play.
If Florida is willing to part with prospects and/or picks for Hayes, Jeff Gorton would be wise to field an offer. Florida could use another center/winger who is defensively responsible and provides some scoring punch: Kevin Hayes most definitely fits that bill.
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a team where Kevin Hayes could fit quite nicely. They were rumored to be in on him when his rights expired with the Blackhawks, so there was definitely interest.
Hayes would be the perfect second line center behind superstar Nathan MacKinnon, and could play with some talented NHLers such as Alex Kerfoot and Sven Andrighetto.
Colorado has no shortage of pieces, and could definitely be persuaded to part with some of them. They may be willing to move a first round pick, considering they also own Ottawa’s first next year, which figures to be significantly high in the first round.
They also have some interesting prospects and young NHLers, such as J.T. Compher and Vladislav Kamenev. If the Rangers could recoup some picks and/or prospects for Hayes, it could be a smart move.
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While the New York Rangers certainly don’t have to trade Kevin Hayes, they should at least field offers. With Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson making the jump to the NHL this year, and Brett Howden coming along in the near future, there is a clear logjam. Trading Hayes could kill two birds with one stone, as they’d bring in more assets as well as clear their glut of centers.