Kevin Hayes

[BlueHavok]

It's a little early to hit the bottle. I like to wait until noon.

ok it's noon....time for a little nip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn41bl5-VN8

 

[rangers1314]

Check out @KevinWeekes's Tweet: https://twitter.com/KevinWeekes/status/502123958720667648

So the organization views him as a center?

 

[silverfish]

They expect him to play center here? That's... Odd, right?

I think I read that he can play all three forward positions, but he was predominantly a wing at BC?

 

[Beacon]

We now have depth coming out of our butts. The addition of Syem, Lombardi and now Hayes is big. This is on top of the 6 prospects we already had before the summer who were regarded as borderline: Miller, Fast, Lindberg, Kristo, Haggerty, Bourque. At least one or two of them have to impress beyond expectations. You always have someone above expectations and someone below. With 7 borderline young players (the 6 mentioned plus Hayes), it is more than reasonable to assume that a couple exceed what we expect.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

Check out @KevinWeekes's Tweet: https://twitter.com/KevinWeekes/status/502123958720667648

The way you are posting all these tweets in an automated fashion really leads credibility to the "Rangerboy is a robot" theory.

 

[Zil]

The Rangers see Hayes as a centre.....

Kevin Weekes ‏@KevinWeekes
Just spoke to a member of the @NYRangers Front Office re signing of Hayes : " 6'5 skilled Centre Ice Men are hard to find."Great point.

Is he actually 6'5"? Various sites have him everywhere from 6'2" to 6'5".

 

[RGY]

Jokes are meant to b funny

Oh yeah you were the guy being negative yesterday about the Hayes situation...

 

[vipernsx]

Best signing of the summer for the Rangers. This is great news!!!

Can we redo the prospect poll now?
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1706173&highlight=vipernsx+hayes

 

[RangerBoy]

So the organization views him as a center?

He can play center and right wing. Hayes would give the Rangers a big body in the middle. Big centers are tough to find. Stepan and Brassard aren't big guys. Miller is another bigger body for the middle who can play wing. The Devils feasted on teams when they had Arnott and Holik at center. Two big centers. LA had a size advantage on the Rangers at center with Kopitar and Carter.

 

[RGY]

So does Miller move to wing?

 

[rangers1314]

He can play center and right wing. Hayes would give the Rangers a big body in the middle. Big centers are tough to find. Stepan and Brassard aren't big guys. Miller is another bigger body for the middle who can play wing. The Devils feasted on teams when they had Arnott and Holik at center. Two big centers. LA had a size advantage on the Rangers at center with Kopitar and Carter.

Whats the scouting report on Hayes defensively?

 

[Beacon]

Yeah, it's ****ing weird. Like it's a good feeling, but also a little unsettling.

That's because you aren't supposed to enjoy hockey as a Rangers fan. It is masochism and good feelings make that seem weird.

 

[RangerBoy]

Check out @KevinWeekes's Tweet: https://twitter.com/KevinWeekes/status/502125863651905536

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Oh yeah you were the guy being negative yesterday about the Hayes situation...

uh what

all I said was that he wouldn't be the best player in our bottom 6

speaks more to our bottom 6's depth than Hayes abilities

 

[Zil]

Whats the scouting report on Hayes defensively?

He’s also pretty safe in his own zone, and in fact was deployed as a defenseman for a time earlier in his college career, when BC simply ran out of healthy bodies to put on the blue line. He didn’t expose himself too badly there. One thing he’s not, however, is suited to play an “energy†role. He’s big and he can throw the body around if need be, but that’s not his game and asking him to play it is a misuse of talent. In short, he’s a big, heavy, high-scoring, 22-year-old left-shot right wing (and occasional defenseman) who can take a draw if needed, who isn’t afraid to play physical, who has the upside to play in the top-six. There should be a line of teams around the block for him.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-p...ayes-day--nhl--trending-topics-141345214.html

It sounds like he's pretty solid.

 

[Beacon]

There's no way anyone should now say we have one of the worst farms in the league. Not only does Hayes add depth (and we already had one of the deepest farms in the league), he's probably one of our top 3 prospects, so he makes the farm top-heavy too.

 

[Ail]

If that was true then 31 wouldn't have won funniest poster last year

Lol'd.

Also, YES!!

Free former first rounder not previously in someone's dog house. Well done Sather and co.

 

[nyr2k2]

Just like in cards, there is a fair bit of luck involved too. We were lucky that Hayes opted not to sign with chicago and we were lucky that he chose us over 28 other teams.

Agree and disagree. We're lucky Hayes opted not to sign with Chicago, but I don't think it's luck that we were able to persuade him to sign here. We have a lot going for us an organization--location, history, resources, and a competitive team. I don't think it's luck that we're an attractive destination.

 

[RangerBoy]

Big bodies. The Rangers were the best spot for Hayes. The Rangers were the best spot for Schultz. He could have played with either Mac Truck or Staal on a winning team. He signed with Edmonton on some fantasy about Edmonton becoming the next Pittsburgh or Chicago.

 

[AHB*]

Frankly the scouting report sounds similar to Brian Boyle.

 

[GAGLine]

Agree and disagree. We're lucky Hayes opted not to sign with Chicago, but I don't think it's luck that we were able to persuade him to sign here. We have a lot going for us an organization--location, history, resources, and a competitive team. I don't think it's luck that we're an attractive destination.

Not all luck, no, but still a part of it. Regardless of what we have going on and what we offered, he still could have chosen lots of other teams. Wheeler did. Schultz did.

The point is that yes, there are other ways to get NHL talent, but we were fortunate in this case because these types of players aren't available often, and when they are, there is lots of competition for them.

I agree that we are playing our cards well, but it helps if we get handed some good cards to begin with.

 

[eco's bones]

Best signing of the summer for the Rangers. This is great news!!!

Can we redo the prospect poll now?
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1706173&highlight=vipernsx+hayes

I agree--best signing. Just this one move deepens our prospect pool considerably. IMO--he goes to the very top of the food chain as far as our prospect rankings. I see him as a top 6 forward with size--something we really lacked. I think he has a legit shot at making the team out of training camp.

 

[Ail]

Frankly the scouting report sounds similar to Brian Boyle.

My girlfriend just said the same thing. Honestly if he became Boyle with more offense that's a total win.

 

[RangerBoy]

Give Gorton credit. He signed some of the best college hockey free agents available this spring. Whether or not these players make it isn't the issue. Other teams were bidding on these players. The bonuses given weren't outlandish. We do not know how much the Rangers gave Hayes in bonuses. Gorton convinced those players to sign with the Rangers. Maybe he had a good rapport with the agents and they like doing business with him.

 

[silverfish]

Good read here: Getting to know Kevin Hayes

Some quotes:

The key for Hayes was simply playing an "up-and-down" style, himself.

If you're looking for when Hayes' season went on a dramatic upswing, it was that early season meeting against Northeastern, and not when Hayes joined forces with Hobey Baker winner Johnny Gaudreau. It was when Hayes began to really play within his strengths, and with an edge.

And that's what makes Hayes such an exciting NHL prospect. His size will allow him to continue to bang bodies at the pro level, while his hands and vision round out his offensive dynamic. He has the ability to play that finesse style, which is way more effective when complementing his straight ahead style.

A bigger player, Hayes can create room for himself or his teammates on the ice, while he certainly doesn't need the puck to be effective. There's no doubt Gaudreau was key in that element, as college hockey's leading scorer was deft in finding Hayes all season long in tight spaces. But Hayes' blend of size and skill along with the style he plays makes him a very intriguing prospect, and a player who likely can contribute sooner rather than later.

That's a move [slotting in Hayes at 3RW over Stempniak] that could also help shelter Hayes' zone starts (he's good, not great in the defensive zone), while allowing Stempniak to be deployed in a more defensive role alongside Dominc Moore.