Rangers Land Kevin Hayes

The media are now reporting that the Rangers have won the Kevin Hayes sweepstakes.  This is very good news, and Hayes has grown into an excellent power forward type player over his 4 years at BC. It's a bit of a coup for the Rangers because Hayes had former teammates and even a brother already in the league.  Of course, the Rangers had his ex-teammate Kreider, and Kreider can jump out of a pool.

The signing of Hayes, as well as the deals for Haggerty, McCarthy and really any of no pick guys has been vitally important to the Rangers who have traded so many prime picks and prospects over the past few years.   Because of all of those moves moves, the Rangers had a gap between their prospects who had graduated, like Kreider, Talbot, and most likely JT Miller, and the kids like Duclair and Buchnevich.    That's not to say Lindberg, Fast and some of of the others won't play in the NHL because they will, a few might even be really good, it's just too soon to tell and there haven't been enough indications.   So the Rangers need as many of these sort of floor guys as they can get their hands on.

But Hayes may be more than a floor guy, as he really came into his own and looked like a future star this past year.   Just an outstanding pick up for the Rangers.  He's definitely the best value they've gotten since UFA began, and we must wonder if he'll be added to the Traverse City Roster.

There was some concern that signing him would put them over the limit, but they still have some junior players who can slide, and I still think they will make a trade.  Let's go, Rangers.