New York Rangers: There are no guarantees in free agency

With just a couple of weeks until the NHL trade deadline, the New York Rangers’ front office is facing a serious decision regarding both Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello. Despite the logic of a return, don’t count on anything.

As part of the player’s rights revolution of the past 30 years, there is now greater freedom than ever before. Although it takes players until age 27 or eight years of service to reach unrestricted free agency, they can still put their careers into their own hands. In the case of a potential New York Rangers’ plan, it’s imperative to keep grounded and in reality.

Some, like Larry Brooks of the New York Post, believe that there is a good chance that the Rangers’ front office could deal both Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes prior to this month’s deadline to acquire some assets to bolster the team’s future.

With the team having significant resources tied up in prospects that need development, it is absolutely crucial to get as many chances as possible. Based on the Rangers’ draft history during this regime, there is always a lingering concern about getting too cute with off the board selections and over complicating slam dunk picks.

This potential situation would require both Hayes and Zuccarello to not fall in love with their trade deadline rental teams. It’s pretty rare for players in the NHL that get dealt at the deadline to return, one that Brooks referenced was Antonie Vermette who returned to the Arizona Coyotes after winning a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks.

The danger

Banking on anything of major importance to happen in free agency as a cornerstone of future roster construction is a terrible gamble. Since players and teams cannot pre-agree to anything before free agency opens, it creates the possibility that two parties may be on the same page now in February but not come July 1st.

Promises could be made about long term contracts and that there are no hard feelings but both Hayes and Zuccarello have voiced their love of New York and their preference to stay. Although both players may recognize the idea behind their potential move, being treated like a piece of property instead of a person can sour certain types of people.

With both Hayes and Zuccarello playing well in recent weeks, there is increased chatter from a number of organizations about the potential of the Rangers netting a larger package. But, again, back to the overarching idea of an Aroldis Chapman situation that some are hoping for.

To revisit, the New York Yankees traded its veteran closer, Chapman, to the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline for a package of three assets. The Cubs went on to break the curse of the Billy goat and win its first World Series since 1908. That following offseason, Chapman returned to the Yankees in free agency as the highest paid reliever in the history of baseball at that point.

As much as losing Zuccarello and Hayes will hurt, hoping on unlikely scenarios is only a formula for further heartache.