If we have competent management and scouting (which I believe we do) - Hayes' hot streak should have little to do with our interest level or willingness to pay through the nose. If anything it should give them pause to consider the potential of both an escalating bidding war in terms of trade assets and the fact that the better the stats, the more Hayes is going to want to cash in this summer as a very young UFA who controls his own destiny...and we've seen him play his cards to his advantage in the past with his signing out of college (not blaming him but he's going to cash in this summer).
Good player, would help us, would put OUR first and a B prospect on the table...seems pretty fair for a rental. But his price since yesterday in some Rangers' fans eyes has now jumped to ludicrous levels - TWO first rounders or a first AND blue chip "A" prospect. Sorry - he's still an UFA next summer and even with his hot streak, he's still a 26 point in 32 game second liner. With his size and defensive ability, that makes for an attractive player but still not a guy the Avs need to go "all in for" just to have him walk in a few months. And his UFA status makes his age pretty irrelevant to the discussion.
I wish the Rangers fan all the luck in the world getting their perceived asking price for their rental...better yet, for their sake, as such a highly prized commodity, I hope they can just re-sign such a key building block. But I really don't see Sakic, who has been utterly patient so far with good results, taking this kind if trade risk if the Rags are wanting the a king's ransom back in a deal.