Rumor: Blackhawks' Kevin Hayes on Rangers radar?

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

http://nypost.com/2014/07/17/boston-college-graduate-kevin-hayes-on-rangers-radar/

"The Rangers have targeted pending free-agent winger Kevin Hayes, the 22-year-old Boston College graduate who was selected 24th overall by the Blackhawks in the 2010 Entry Draft, but who will be eligible to hit the open market on Aug. 16 if he does not sign with Chicago by Aug. 15, The Post has learned.

Hayes, who is continuing to negotiate with the Blackhawks, is expected to be pursued by numerous NHL clubs. Several industry sources report they believe the Rangers will be among a handful of finalists in the bidding for the 6-foot-3, 205-pound left-handed shooting right wing, who played two seasons with Chris Kreider, should he become a free agent.
A finalist for the Hobey Baker award given to the NCAA’s best player, Hayes recorded 65 points (27-38) for the Eagles as a senior while playing on a line with Hobey Baker winner Johnny Gaudreau, the center who joined the Flames for the final game of their season after having been selected 104th overall by Calgary in 2011.

Several NHL talent evaluators told The Post they believe Hayes, who did not attend Chicago’s prospect camp last week after having done so in each of the previous four summers, likely would have been selected between 15th and 25th had he been eligible to re-enter the 2014 draft. He is regarded as an offensive talent perhaps a bit lacking in the ability to grind.
Hayes, who is eligible/required to sign a two-year Entry Level deal regardless of whether he signs with Chicago or becomes a free agent, would have a shot to make the Rangers with a strong training camp. The Blueshirts appear to have vacancies on their third and fourth lines."

Click to read more...

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

I would love this

 

[nyr2k2]

That would be a nice acquisition. Do we have the space to offer him a max ELC with bonuses? Justin Schultz signed a max base, with $185K as a signing bonus and $2.85M in performance bonuses.

 

[Gardner McKay]

I don't think we get him but it is nice to know that we are in contention.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

That would be a nice acquisition. Do we have the space to offer him a max ELC with bonuses? Justin Schultz signed a max base, with $185K as a signing bonus and $2.85M in performance bonuses.

Bonuses can roll into next year, so yes.

 

[Ian]

That would be a nice acquisition. Do we have the space to offer him a max ELC with bonuses? Justin Schultz signed a max base, with $185K as a signing bonus and $2.85M in performance bonuses.

I'm no CBA expert, but it seems like there would be no issue signing him to a max contract.

He's a 2010 draft year, so his max base salary is 900k, which the Rangers could fit.

Teams can go over the limit with bonuses by 7.5% of the cap ceiling, which is roughly 5.1m. The max bonus he could get would be around that 2.85m, so there seems to be no road bumps there.

 

[nyr2k2]

Bonuses can roll into next year, so yes.

That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure. Thanks.

 

[NYR Viper]

I said this over a month ago. They need to do everything within their power to sign him. It's another free chip. The kid can score

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

Chicago still has a whole month to sign him however.. but they are over the cap already as it is.

 

[NYR Viper]

Chicago still has a whole month to sign him however.. but they are over the cap already as it is.

It has been reported he doesn't want to sign. He doesn't want to be caught behind multiple other young players/prospects

 

[E-Train]

Seems like a good fit for both sides.

 

[RangerBoy]

The bonuses come into play if they are hit. Hayes will need to play and produce for those bonuses to hit. Hayes doesn't feel that opportunity is there with the Hawks. He should go to the best spot for him. Not where his brother plays or where his college buddies play. His brother isn't a sure thing in the NHL. Are his Boston teammates in Calgary staying there? No guarantee.

 

[Trainmman]

I would say this: get kreider locked up and ensure he doesn't go to arbitration. Arbitration could leave a sour taste in people's mouths when it's all said and done. Could limit kreiders pull on getting him here.

I think there's certainly a shot. Plus with the lack of prospects and opportunity to play now, it's a perfect fit.

 

[Trxjw]

I think Calgary will hand him a spot. He'd have to earn one with the Rangers. The Flames are the likely landing spot, IMO. Still, he would be a nice add. Size and skating ability with solid hands around the net.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

As Viper said, this move would be a good move because it's just another free chip to add.

But, having seen him on a game-in game-out basis for nearly 4 years... I'd argue that his hype is getting out of hand on this board, and if we were to land him, many people would be greatly disappointed by what he actually brings to the table.

He's got a great slap shot. His strongest asset for sure. After there, there is a very average skill set there.

 

[ecemleafs]

only advantage we'd have over calgary is that NY is the closest to home for him outside of the bruins. surprised the bruins arent the favorite for him considering he's spent his whole life in boston.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

only advantage we'd have over calgary is that NY is the closest to home for him outside of the bruins. surprised the bruins arent the favorite for him considering he's spent his whole life in boston.

Yea. Hartford is like 1.5 hours away from Boston.

 

[Made Dan]

Fantastic news, though I anticipate most of the league trying to sign him.

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

hypothetically, what do you think it would cost in a trade?.. i know we could possibly get him for nothing, but if we trade for him, then we have the better chance to sign him.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

hypothetically, what do you think it would cost in a trade?.. i know we could possibly get him for nothing, but if we trade for him, then we have the better chance to sign him.

I wouldn't trade more than a conditional 7th for a prospect who could easily walk in August.

 

[offdacrossbar]

he may be coming here. i have no proof nor have i spoken to anyone seriously plugged in but i do know something about kevins situation. i speak with some syracuse area people who are very close with the blackhawks and ill leave it at that.

i have spoken about him with my regular syracuse based people and i will say that he is interested in playing on the east coast. that i do know from some people close to bc hockey and to kevin himself.

no one wants to play in calgary.

chicago is loaded. kevin does not want to wait around like another high end chi prospect from my area....

would be a nice chip. hes talented and has great hands but im not so high on his overall game. hes a top 6 type kid but doesnt have the game to play with grinders. hes offensive and he can snipe it but there isnt much there there after that. never loved his skating.

kreider and stepan are buddies. fits the slats/gordie mo for players. us kid graduate of a bigtime ncaa program.

cheap and brings some offense to the av system but hes not without his warts.

makes too much sense for slats to not go hard after him.

 

[TeamStewie]

only advantage we'd have over calgary is that NY is the closest to home for him outside of the bruins. surprised the bruins arent the favorite for him considering he's spent his whole life in boston.

The Bruins cap problems are as bad as Chicago's.

 

[nyr2k2]

I wouldn't trade more than a conditional 7th for a prospect who could easily walk in August.

I'd go way higher than a seventh, as long as the condition attached is whether he signs with us. What if you could get him for a conditional third? And then you sign him? You just picked up a first round talent for a third round pick.

I don't see that happening though.

 

[cwede]

Chicago could conceivably trade his rights, Winnipeg sent Samuels-Thomas' similar expiring rights to Buffalo last week for very late pick, who then signed him.
But the excess hype will raise the price CBH might ask.
If geography or Kreider, fit into Hayes' thinking, maybe we have a shot if he gets to UFA.
But hype aside, he's probably not the next Justin Schultz, another drafted player from NCAA, who gamed the system to become an amateur free agent after college, and became a full-time and impact NHL player as a rookie.
He'd just be another promising wing prospect among Fast, Hrivik, Kristo, etc.

 

[NYR Viper]

he may be coming here. i have no proof nor have i spoken to anyone seriously plugged in but i do know something about kevins situation. i speak with some syracuse area people who are very close with the blackhawks and ill leave it at that.

i have spoken about him with my regular syracuse based people and i will say that he is interested in playing on the east coast. that i do know from some people close to bc hockey and to kevin himself.

no one wants to play in calgary.

chicago is loaded. kevin does not want to wait around like another high end chi prospect from my area....

would be a nice chip. hes talented and has great hands but im not so high on his overall game. hes a top 6 type kid but doesnt have the game to play with grinders. hes offensive and he can snipe it but there isnt much there there after that. never loved his skating.

kreider and stepan are buddies. fits the slats/gordie mo for players. us kid graduate of a bigtime ncaa program.

cheap and brings some offense to the av system but hes not without his warts.

makes too much sense for slats to not go hard after him.

ODC what else have you heard regarding Morin?