Kevin Hayes quietly delivered one of best free agent bargains in Rangers history

The New York Rangers are an organization that has made their fair share of August acquisitions, and one such player was in the news on Tuesday. Kevin Hayes joined the Rangers back in 2014 as a free agent after he spent four years in college and was unable to come to terms with the Chicago Blackhawks, and he is off to the KHL for the upcoming season.

Hayes appeared in 28 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins this year, and it was unfortunately another down year for him. However, his stint with the Rangers was very successful, and now's as good a time as any to look back on his Blueshirts career.

Kevin Hayes took a unique path to NHL

Hayes was drafted No. 24 overall in the first round of the 2010 NHL Draft, and was selected by Chicago who was fresh off their first Stanley Cup since 1961. Hayes didn't put up any gaudy numbers in prep hockey, but he was a growing boy with potential.

He played at Boston College, and each year he gradually got more productive, which is what made his such an intriguing prospect at the time. Hayes had just 14 points in 31 games as a freshman, he doubled his production with 28 points in 44 games as a sophomore, and then came his junior year. That year Hayes appeared in just 27 games, and he finished with six goals and 19 assists for 25 points.

Hayes' big coming out party was during his senior year, and it was around this time when there were whispers of what his future would look like. Chicago was still winning Stanley Cups, and the roster was continually in a state of flux which didn't really present a pathway for Hayes to start his NHL career. Senior year at BC saw Hayes dazzle with 27 goals, 38 assists, and 65 points in 40 games, and it was evident he was ready for bigger and better things.

All NHL players who are drafted and spend four years in NCAA hockey have the option of becoming a UFA if they are unable to come to terms with the team that drafted them. This is a strategy that's been utilized by players like Blake Wheeler, Jimmy Vesey, and Hayes. The Rangers were a team that used to routinely scoop up players from college, a lot of times undrafted players who'd finished their sophomore or junior year, and Hayes saw an opportunity and ran with it.

Hayes was better than you remember

Fans who are only familiar with Hayes recent play may understand why he's out of the league and playing in the KHL, but his time with the Blueshirts was simply spectacular. His debut season was the 2014-15 season, fresh off a loss in the Stanley Cup Final, and Hayes was an amazing addition to the bottom six.

He appeared in 79 games averaging 13:02 per night, but still managed to score 17 goals, add 28 assists, and 45 points. He also had two goals and five assists for seven points in 19 games as the Blueshirts made a run to the Eastern Conference Final.

What's impressive about Hayes' rookie year is that only five of his points came on the power play, one was shorthanded, and the rest were at even strength. That was a major theme of his career with the Rangers, and one only wonders what could have happened if he'd been given a bigger role.

Hayes followed up his rookie season with a line of 14-22-36 in 79 games (13:40 per game), and then got a minutes jump in his third year on Broadway. That year Hayes set a new career high in points (17-32-49) while skating 16:34 per game. He built upon that success in year four by setting a new career high in goals at 25, and also had 19 assists to finish with 44 points in 75 games.

Hayes' fifth season with the Rangers was his last, and he was belated victim of the Letter 1.0. The team announced their intentions to rebuild toward the end of the 2017-18 season, and the immediate focus was veteran players. Hayes was at a point where he was going to eventually need a long-term contract extension, and with the team actively rebuilding, it was deemed they'd be better off moving on from Hayes.

Hayes appeared in 51 games with the Rangers in a top six role skating 19:27 per night, and he rewarded the team with 14 goals, 28 assists, and 42 points. He was well on pace to have a new career year offensively, but he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets for Brendan Lemieux, a 2019 first round draft pick, and a fourth round pick in 2022 that didn't convey because the Jets didn't win the Stanley Cup.

That first round pick, along with up and coming defenseman Neal Pionk, ended up in Winnipeg that offseason as part of a deal which brought Jacob Trouba to New York.

If this is it, it was a heck of a ride for Hayes

Hayes hasn't been a Ranger for seven years at this point, but he's a player I still followed with great interest. Him joining the Philadelphia Flyers was tough, but he clearly played his best hockey on Broadway... and not Broad Street.

He finished his Ranger career with 87 goals, 129 assists, and 216 points in 361 games which equates to 0.60 points per game. That includes 67 goals and 99 assists for 166 points at even strength!

Having known what I just said, even though his 157 points in 253 games yields a slightly higher points per game average at 0.62... I said what I said. Hayes didn't appear in as many games as he should, and for that reason he was limited to seasons of 41, 31, 31, and 54 points before moving to St. Louis for a season and then two final campaigns in Pittsburgh.

If this is it for him, he had a fine career for himself by lasting 12 years in the NHL. Life hasn't been easy lately for him as he dealt with the personal tragedy of losing his brother Jimmy, and that loss certainly has to have been weighing on him.

Hayes turned 34 in May, and a rebound year in the KHL could given him a jumpstart before attempting an NHL comeback. But if this is truly it for Hayes... I will remember him for his energy, his goofiness, and the memes.

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