When Kevin Hayes was signed by the New York Rangers to a one year deal, the issue of a long-term plan became prevalent right away. One of the hardest questions to answer was this: does Kevin Hayes provide more value to the team as a trade piece, or as a roster player?
Of course, the answer to that question was largely dependent on how Hayes performed this season. Though clearly a player with a very apparent high level of skill, Hayes had yet to top the 50 point mark in his career.
Where Hayes made himself valuable was the defensive zone.