Kevin Hayes and The Importance of Playing The Kids

Kevin Hayes has been really coming on lately for the Rangers, and it's mostly because he's been given the chance to, instead of having been yo-yo'd like JT Miller and some of the other kids.

Lately, the Ranger model has been to "scotch guard" their roster with marginal FA vets every offseason, like Tanner Glass, who they gave a three year deal to last summer.  This hasn't worked out for them and has lead to a situation where kids aren't getting the opportunities to blossom as Hayes is doing now.

Glass was another kid who came up and got reps and kept improving.

Other teams, like the Kings for example, use the regular season to break in new kids by playing them, and have reaped the benefits.

The Rangers have had a less cohesive and logical plan for their kids.  Somehow, they forgive veteran misplays, and bench the crap out of kids like JT Miller for lesser transgressions.

This is really their biggest problem right now -- other than faceoffs and an underperforming defense.  Their own CAP and ecology is being fouled by their inconsistent approach to playing the kids and letting them develop as Hayes is doing now and Fast was doing before he got hurt.  

To wit, Sather should waive Tanner Glass, insist that JT Miller play every night, and call up Lindberg to be their face-off ace -  thus saving assets instead of throwing them at some other team's face-off specialist.  

It's really all about trusting the scouts and the system, and realizing the system is now strong enough to save all that money they've been spending every July on marginal vets.

Let the kids play and develop and save money - it makes the most sense if you've got the kids and the Rangers do.