Hartnett: So Far, Rangers' Hayes Is Thriving In His Second NHL Season

By Sean Hartnett
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The dreaded sophomore slump can wreak havoc on some of the NHL's most promising youngsters. That has not been the case for Rangers center Kevin Hayes, who has continued to defy conventions of a typical career path.

There haven't been any bumps in the road, only a constant upward trajectory -- one that has the big-bodied, highly-skilled forward on a course toward stardom. Head coach Alain Vigneault is impressed by how the 23-year-old pairs natural confidence and a strong work ethic.

"He's got a lot of potential, a lot of offensive skill," Vigneault said recently. "He's got a lot of confidence in himself. Sometimes he tries things that a player coming into the league or into his second year wouldn't normally try. I like that in a player. I like a guy that likes to push the envelope a little bit.

"Hayesie has improved on both ends of the rink since he's been here. He's improved his faceoffs this year. He's going to continue to improve because of his skill set and his work ethic. He's a hardworking kid," Vigneault added.

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What separates Hayes from most NHL youngsters is his maturity and poise. After making the jump straight from Boston College, he was not weighed down by the responsibility of playing a significant role on the Stanley Cup-chasing Rangers. He quickly earned the trust of veteran teammates and his accelerated learning curve allowed Vigneault to increase his role as the season went on.

Hayes finished his rookie campaign with 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists) in 79 regular season games. He led all NHL rookies with 25 primary assists and had only 22 penalty minutes.

"I was thoroughly impressed with his poise as a rookie," defenseman Dan Boyle told WFAN.com. "He's showing it again this year -- holding on to pucks and doing what a lot of players can't do in this league. I'm just as impressed as I was last year.

"The only thing that's going to change now is his confidence as he gets better. Once he reaches that peak level of confidence, I think he's going to be a pretty amazing player to watch. He already is. The sky is the limit," Boyle added.

Although it was an ideal beginning, the 6-foot-5 forward knew Vigneault and the coaching staff would demand more from him in his second year.

"They asked me to be better defensively. I needed to shoot more. Obviously, faceoffs could be better," Hayes said in an exclusive interview with WFAN.com.

The Boston native has collected 12 points, including five goals, through 18 games. Two of his goals have been game-winners. It's clear that Hayes has a flair for the game-changing play. The Rangers are 10-0-1 this season when he records a point.

"I have a lot more confidence this year," he said. "I trust my instincts and I believe that I can make the plays I know I can make. It's been going well so far. My goal was pretty much be a difference-maker, provide some offense from the start of the season and play some defense as well. Most of my goals are team goals. That's what we're accomplishing, so I'm pretty happy so far."

Over the past two seasons, 31 of his 35 career assists have been primary assists, a stat in which Hayes leads the Blueshirts since the start of 2014-15.

"He's a big guy that is really good at protecting the puck," linemate Viktor Stalberg told WFAN.com. "He never makes any rushed plays. He's so good at protecting the puck -- it's tough to get it off him. He buys himself a lot of time out there to make plays. It's fun playing with him, for sure. Kevin is a real solid player. He has a knack for where to be and where to go. I don't think you can study that too much. It's more if you've got those instincts or not. He has it."

Center Derick Brassard believes Hayes' presence on the third line makes the depth-blessed Rangers a difficult team for opposing coaches to match lines against.

"He's still a young player, but the year under his belt helped him a lot," Brassard said. "He's using his size really well. When you're that tall and you have good hands, good vision and put everything together it makes him a really dangerous player. He makes us a more dangerous team."

Alternate captain Derek Stepan sees Hayes as a big reason why the Rangers have begun the young season with the NHL's best record at 14-2-2.

"He was huge for us last year and a big part of our success," Stepan said. "It's exactly what he's been moving forward. He's going to have to be a big part of it, too. It's so important to have depth and he's a big part of being our depth. I just think his whole game has gotten better since last year and he was really great last year. As an individual and as a team, you always want to get better. Kevin did a great job of making sure he came back a better player."

His even-keeled mentality has been recognized and applauded by teammates. It's not something many young players possess during the early stages of their NHL career.

"That's how his personality is," Stepan said. "He doesn't have too many panic buttons and it shows in his game too."

"He's got a good attitude," Brassard added. "He gets along really well with everyone. I think the way he plays the game, it reflects a lot on his personality outside the rink. He's really relaxed and very patient. It brings another element to his game. I think his personality helps him a lot."

Everything about Hayes' career has been atypical. He's already a huge talent and playing with the poise of a 10-year veteran at the tender age of 23. It really makes you wonder how good he's going to be when he enters his prime.

Follow Sean on Twitter at @HartnettHockey