New York Rangers: Kevin Hayes isn’t going anywhere, yet

The New York Rangers and Kevin Hayes couldn’t agree to a long-term deal, but that doesn’t mean he is going to get traded.

Many New York Rangers fans were annoyed that the front office didn’t reach a long-term agreement with center Kevin Hayes.

Due to the nature of the team’s rebuild, a majority of them assumed that the one-year contract was the equivalent of both sides waiving the white flag on their partnership, signalling a trade before February’s deadline where the Rangers would acquire more picks and prospects to bolster their asset pool.

But a recent article written by NHL.com’s Dan Rosen has kind of put the kibosh on that notion, at least for now.

In the article, Hayes told Rosen that the one-year deal that was reached “was best for both sides.”

“We couldn’t really come to a long-term agreement and a one-year deal is what came out of it. I’m not treating it like I’ll be out of there in February or at the end of the year. Everyone keeps saying UFA at the end of the year, but that had nothing to do with the decision.”

It feels like just yesterday that Hayes entered the league, but he is about to enter his fifth year in the league. He’s shown so many flashes of untapped potential, but just like other young star-turned-veteran Chris Kreider, he has yet to find that consistency that he needs to get to the next level.

Hayes’ veteran voice will be much needed in a locker room that will look very different in years to come. Rangers’ general manager Jeff Gorton believes Hayes could be that player, as he told Rosen that, “In a perfect world,” Hayes will still be a Ranger after the 2018-19 season. He also noted that the team has the cap space to make it happen.

It sounds like the team really wants to see what Hayes could do without Alain Vigneault behind the bench. He will have an expanded offensive role under David Quinn, and if he could produce more offensively this upcoming season, he will earn a very large payday.

You have to respect Hayes for betting on himself and saying all the right things here. He sounds motivated to get his game to the next level and set an example for the kids coming up over the course of the season.

Now, of course things might change in the future. If the Rangers think that their young centers Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil are ahead of schedule and Hayes isn’t showing much offensive improvement, Hayes could end up being on the outs just like everyone expected when the two parties agreed on the contract.

But it sounds more and more like the ball is in the Rangers’ court here, and that Hayes doesn’t want to go anywhere. It’s now time for him to prove his worth.