Alain Vigneault spoke about Kevin Hayes before the Rangers game against Nashville on November 23 (MSG).
Vigneault said, "I see so much potential there, skill wise and size wise and I am just trying to find a way where he can best contribute to the team. He has gotten some points but I think he is a better player than he has shown so far."
He added, "I am challenging him a lot because I believe that he can be a real good player and I am going to stay on him."
Hayes said that last season he was trying not to make mistakes that would get him sent to Hartford. He said that he was happy to play "low minutes" as long as he wasn't making mistakes. (Newsday)
He said that for this season he wants to be "a difference-maker" and when he has the puck he is confident that he won't give it up. (Newsday)
Scott Arniel said earlier this season on MSG that Hayes can be an imposing player who likes to hold onto the puck and make plays but also needs to get better at some little details.
Adam Rotter: Hayes can be better and needs to be better for the Rangers. Alain Vigneault sees a big part of the Rangers future in Hayes and is trying to push him to get him to perform his best. Every handles these situations differently. If John Tortorella was coaching Hayes he would have been scratched, benched, moved to the fourth line etc. all in an effort to get him to play better. Vigneault has shifted Hayes around to different lines and seems to like him the best at center. If the Rangers want to go deep in the playoffs this season they are going to need Hayes to fill a big role. Right now he isn't doing that, bu with half a season left to go Hayes still has time to make an impact before the playoffs.
Rick Nash's season so far for the Rangers:
Rick Nash has 10 goals and 14 assists this season and is on pace of 23 goals and 32 assists in 80 games this season. (NHL)
23 goals would be the lowest of Nash's career, at least 65 games, since his rookie season.
Hayes said that last season he was trying not to make mistakes that would get him sent to Hartford. He said that he was happy to play "low minutes" as long as he wasn't making mistakes. (Newsday)
He said that for this season he wants to be "a difference-maker" and when he has the puck he is confident that he won't give it up. (Newsday)
Scott Arniel said earlier this season on MSG that Hayes can be an imposing player who likes to hold onto the puck and make plays but also needs to get better at some little details.
Adam Rotter: Hayes can be better and needs to be better for the Rangers. Alain Vigneault sees a big part of the Rangers future in Hayes and is trying to push him to get him to perform his best. Every handles these situations differently. If John Tortorella was coaching Hayes he would have been scratched, benched, moved to the fourth line etc. all in an effort to get him to play better. Vigneault has shifted Hayes around to different lines and seems to like him the best at center. If the Rangers want to go deep in the playoffs this season they are going to need Hayes to fill a big role. Right now he isn't doing that, bu with half a season left to go Hayes still has time to make an impact before the playoffs.
Rick Nash's season so far for the Rangers:
Rick Nash has 10 goals and 14 assists this season and is on pace of 23 goals and 32 assists in 80 games this season. (NHL)
23 goals would be the lowest of Nash's career, at least 65 games, since his rookie season.
Nash had 26 goals for the Rangers in 13-14 and had 258 shots on goal with a shooting percentage of 10.1%.
So far this season Nash has 101 shots on goal and a shooting percentage of 9.9%.
Through 30 games last season, Nash had 20 goals and 116 shots on goal.
In the last 11 games, Nash has had one shot on goal 4 times, two shots on goal once, three shots on goal 3 times, four shots on goal twice and five shots on goal once.
At 5 on 5, Nash has been on the ice for 48.6% shot attempts in the last 11 games.
Adam Rotter: Nash is bound to get hot again and will probably end up closer to 30 than he will 20. His whole game was off the last few weeks, in all three-zones, as was the entire team, but after 7 goals in 12 November games he only had 2 goals in 11 December games. Nash will get his game back and the bounces will start falling for him. Unless this is a reversal and he is holding all of his goals for the playoffs this year.
Chris Kreider thinks that his game is coming:
Alain Vigneault said last week that Chris Kreider is working hard and that he liked Kreider's work ethic and puck protection. (NYR)
He added that he thinks Kreider is turning the corner with his play. (NYR)
So far this season Nash has 101 shots on goal and a shooting percentage of 9.9%.
Through 30 games last season, Nash had 20 goals and 116 shots on goal.
In the last 11 games, Nash has had one shot on goal 4 times, two shots on goal once, three shots on goal 3 times, four shots on goal twice and five shots on goal once.
At 5 on 5, Nash has been on the ice for 48.6% shot attempts in the last 11 games.
Adam Rotter: Nash is bound to get hot again and will probably end up closer to 30 than he will 20. His whole game was off the last few weeks, in all three-zones, as was the entire team, but after 7 goals in 12 November games he only had 2 goals in 11 December games. Nash will get his game back and the bounces will start falling for him. Unless this is a reversal and he is holding all of his goals for the playoffs this year.
Chris Kreider thinks that his game is coming:
Alain Vigneault said last week that Chris Kreider is working hard and that he liked Kreider's work ethic and puck protection. (NYR)
He added that he thinks Kreider is turning the corner with his play. (NYR)
Earlier this week, Kreider said that he thinks his game is coming and that he is getting some "really good looks".
He said that he is going to continue to keep things simple on the ice and that as long as his effort is there, "everything else will take care of itself." (Daily News)
Krieder did not register a shot on goal in the Rangers win against Anaheim for the first time in 8 games.
He only has two goals in December, including one scored last Sunday against the Capitals.
Kreider has had at least one hit in every game in December, 32 total, and has been hit 16 times in that stretch. (War on Ice)
Adam Rotter: I do think that Kreider has been better lately and using his speed more, but to say he is better from where he was isn't saying much. There is still a lot of room for improvement with Kreider but at the very least he is now using his speed more on the forecheck and consistently bringing a physical presence. He showed his talent with that beautiful goal against the Caps and if he can get the puck in front of the net more he will get more goals.
The Rangers think that Chris Drury can add a lot to the organization in his new role
Jeff Gorton says that Chris Drury, with his resume as a hockey player, can add "so much to our staff and organization." (NYR)
He says that Drury isn't just "another person" but is someone who had a lot of success and "carried himself really well." (NYR)
The Rangers Media Guide describes Drury's role as being "responsible for working with the team's hoceky operations department to assist in the development of Rangers prospects, both on and off the ice."
In his career, Drury won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year, was on the All-Rookie team in 1998-99, won a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001, a three-time Olympian and two-time Silver Medal winner, Hobey Baker winner at BU, captain of the Rangers and the Sabres and two-time Hockey East Player of the year.
Gorton says that "drafting and developing" players are the "key to any successful franchise" and that bringing in Drury and adding to their development efforts will help. (NYR)
Drury joined Adam Graves, who Gorton says is "extremely good" at this role, in the field of player development. (NYR)
He said that he is going to continue to keep things simple on the ice and that as long as his effort is there, "everything else will take care of itself." (Daily News)
Krieder did not register a shot on goal in the Rangers win against Anaheim for the first time in 8 games.
He only has two goals in December, including one scored last Sunday against the Capitals.
Kreider has had at least one hit in every game in December, 32 total, and has been hit 16 times in that stretch. (War on Ice)
Adam Rotter: I do think that Kreider has been better lately and using his speed more, but to say he is better from where he was isn't saying much. There is still a lot of room for improvement with Kreider but at the very least he is now using his speed more on the forecheck and consistently bringing a physical presence. He showed his talent with that beautiful goal against the Caps and if he can get the puck in front of the net more he will get more goals.
The Rangers think that Chris Drury can add a lot to the organization in his new role
Jeff Gorton says that Chris Drury, with his resume as a hockey player, can add "so much to our staff and organization." (NYR)
He says that Drury isn't just "another person" but is someone who had a lot of success and "carried himself really well." (NYR)
The Rangers Media Guide describes Drury's role as being "responsible for working with the team's hoceky operations department to assist in the development of Rangers prospects, both on and off the ice."
In his career, Drury won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year, was on the All-Rookie team in 1998-99, won a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001, a three-time Olympian and two-time Silver Medal winner, Hobey Baker winner at BU, captain of the Rangers and the Sabres and two-time Hockey East Player of the year.
Gorton says that "drafting and developing" players are the "key to any successful franchise" and that bringing in Drury and adding to their development efforts will help. (NYR)
Drury joined Adam Graves, who Gorton says is "extremely good" at this role, in the field of player development. (NYR)
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