Kevin Hayes and GM Jeff Gorton each spoke to Dan Rosen of NHL.com on Friday. Rosen's column contains several quotes on the the one-year deal Hayes signed with the Rangers this off-season, making the center an unrestricted free agent after the year. Both sides gave some rationale why a one-year rather than long-term was signed.
"I'm a Boston kid, but I absolutely love New York City and I would love to be there my entire career," Hayes said Friday before playing in the fourth annual Comm Ave Charity Classic, a game between Boston University and Boston College alumni to benefit the Travis Roy Foundation and Compassionate Care ALS."At the moment, [a one-year contract] 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."
"The NHL is a tough league and I think I've done pretty well in it," Hayes said. "I consider myself a top player on our team, and I think my play will show that. If I play the way I think I can play and want to play, the rest of the stuff will handle itself. There's no thought of me wanting out or them wanting to get rid of me."
"In a perfect world, Kevin Hayes is here after one more year and we keep going with him. Everything goes the way he wants it to and we do," Gorton said. "We certainly have (the NHL salary cap) room to keep him and move forward, it's just a matter of the contract. As we went through the process, the one-year deal seemed to be the best fit for what we're doing right now. I think Kevin was comfortable saying, 'OK, I'll come back this year and I'll do exactly what I say I'm going to do, and then let's talk.' We're comfortable with that too."
You know my view on the one-year deal. The question is do you believe the rhetoric from either side and that a long-term is possible or is Hayes a true lame duck heading into the season? Both sides aren't going to damage their negotiating position by coming out and saying it's one and done, but the possibility that Hayes could be longer-term - clearly dependent on how the kids play this season and their projectability - makes me slightly more optimistic that he might be a centerpiece moving forward.
I had noted this when I discussed the contract, but Rosen points out how Hayes' usage leaned towards the defensive side of the ice. Another reason why I wanted him back long-term is seeing how he played when he shifted more to an offensive style after the trade deadline. In addition, his comments on leadership make me believe he finally truly gets his role and how he could blossom this season.
Last season, Hayes led the Rangers with 507 defensive-zone face-offs (Mika Zibanejad was second with 420) and started 57.28 percent of his 5-on-5 shifts either in the defensive zone or the neutral zone. He also led forwards in total shorthanded ice time (170:22) and per game (2:15) for New York, which tied for 10th in the NHL on the penalty kill at 81.4 percent."When [Derek Stepan was traded to the Arizona Coyotes], it was a big motivation for me to be a good shutdown center, and I thought I did pretty well last year with that, playing against other team's top lines, playing in the [defensive] zone, starting in the [defensive] zone above 60 percent of the time," Hayes said. "That's just a confidence builder. Points and goals, that stuff is cool individually, but that's not why we play. You have to be the right player on and off the ice every day. You have to show the coaches and the organization that you're a leader."
Training camp opens shortly. Hayes will be there, likely as the #2 center. Whether this is his last training camp as a Ranger is up in the air, but the door appears not to be shut on a possible contract extension.