With addition of Kevin Hayes, prospect battle looms in camp

With Wednesday’s signing of unrestricted free agent forward Kevin Hayes, who blossomed in his senior year at Boston College to become the second-leading scorer in the country last season with 65 points in 40 games, the Rangers added size and skill upfront.

The move also ramped up the training camp battle for what appears to be two forward openings on the October roster. 

Hayes, 22, a left-shooting right wing who can also play center and was  pursued by at least half a dozen NHL teams, is listed at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds.  He was selected 24^th overall in the 2010 draft by the Blackhawks, who made him a contract offer that he rejected last week when he chose to explore the market.

Without first-round draft picks in 2013, 2014 and 2015 due to trades, the Rangers have been signing undrafted college free agents. Since March, 2013, they have landed defensemen Conor Allen (UMass-Amherst) and Mat Bodie (Union College), center Chris McCarthy (Vermont) and forward Ryan Haggerty (RPI).

Hayes, a Dorcester, Mass. native, surely has a shot to make the club if he can rise above the competition, which includes J.T. Miller and Jesper Fast, who both played with the Blueshirts last season, prospects Oscar Lindberg, Haggerty and Danny Kristo and veteran Matt Lombardi.  Hayes’ size and versatility may give him an edge, but some believe he can use some AHL seasoning.

Here’s a quick depth chart:

LW: Kreider, Hagelin, Miller, Glass

C: Stepan, Brassard, Moore, Lombardi, Lindberg, McCarthy

RW: Nash, St. Louis, Zuccarello, Stempniak, Fast, Kristo, Haggerty, Hayes

Alain Vigneault wants to roll four lines, as do many NHL coaches who also crave scoring from a third trio. Note the RW depth. Could AV shift Nash to the left side (where he played with Columbus) of the top line and install St. Louis on that trio?  Kreider, Brassard and Zuccarello could be a productive, balanced No. 2 combo. And speedy Hagelin drops to the third line.

Remember, Miller can play center and Lombardi left wing, although the veteran is probably best used in the pivot, maybe on a fourth line, and Miller on the flank. Moore also could slide onto a fourth line, Stempniak seems like a solid third liner, etc.

Hayes would provide size on a possible third or fourth line, depending on the status of Tanner Glass, who could be rotated in, depending on the feistiness of the opponent...Outside of Hagelin, the bottom six is fluid. Given cap space, the Rangers might carry 13 forwards and 7 D to start; the early-season travel schedule is favorable and Hartford is a car ride away.

Lindberg, a true center, clearly could be in the mix there, as well as Fast,  who AV likes, but we’ll see.   

Back to Hayes.  

The Dorchester, Mass., native scored 27 goals and 38 assists for 65 points in 40 games, playing alongside of rising star Johnny Gaudreau.  Overall, Hayes had 132 points in 142 NCAA games. Kreider was his teammate for two of his four seasons with the Eagles.

Hayes and his agent, Robert Murray, met with teams during the weekend and Monday. The clubs reported in the mix included the Rangers, Avalanche, Flames, Bruins, Penguins and Predators.  Gaudreau and Bill Arnold are Flames prospects.  Tom Fitzgerald, an assistant general manager for the Penguins, is Hayes' cousin.

The exact terms of the deal were not immediately known.  But under the collective bargaining agreement, Hayes was required to receive a minimum two-year, two-way, entry level contract with a maximum base salary of $925,000 at the NHL level. Bonuses are optional. The Blackhawks will receive a compensatory second-round draft pick from the league.