Bobby Bevilacqua

Kevin Hayes had quite the spectacular rookie season in New York, and he could play an even bigger part in the Rangers offense next year. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.

In the past, Glen Sather has gotten his fair share of criticism for signings and trades, some of it warranted. But the Rangers management doesn’t get nearly enough credit for their ability to identify young talent late in drafts or on the free agent market.

Ryan Callahan was a third round pick that turned in the Rangers captain. Carl Hagelin was a sixth round pick, and he turned into a great depth player, and a strong two-way forward.  Anthony Duclair was a third Round pick. When dumping Scott Gomez’s contract, Sather was able to steal prospect Ryan McDonagh from the Montreal Canadiens, and that’s worked out quite well. And of course, Henrik Lundqvist was a seventh round pick, and he developed into one of the best goalies in the NHL.

Sather struck gold again this past offseason when he signed Kevin Hayes to a two year entry level contract. Hayes was the 24th pick overall in the 2010 draft, selected by the Chicago Blackhawks. But he decided to leave and pursue a better chance at cracking an NHL roster, eventually choosing to sign with the Rangers.  Read the rest of this entry →