Rangers now pivot to players who will determine this season

DALLAS — The dealing lies ahead for the Rangers, who left the entry draft Saturday night with the same NHL personnel they had stored in the carry-on bin on their flight to Texas on Tuesday.

So while Kevin Hayes — relieved enough not to be dealt Friday that he posted a link to a “Not Leaving” clip from “The Wolf of Wall Street” on his Twitter account — remains a Blueblood, he and fellow impending restricted free agents Vladislav Namestnikov, Jimmy Vesey and Ryan Spooner (and theoretically, Brady Skjei) are back on the clock.

The Rangers adhered to the Gorton Doctrine and served their future by exercising their three first-round picks Friday. Right wing Vitali Kravtsov, the ninth-overall selection, is well regarded by personnel people throughout the league with whom we have spoken in the aftermath of his selection. He could be in New York as soon as next year, even if that seems to be a bit of an optimistic stretch.

Kravtsov wasn’t an off-the-wall pick. He was generally rated just outside the top 10. The Rangers zeroed in on him long ago. But in claiming the playmaking Russian, who is renowned for his skating and skill, a couple of slots before the Islanders claimed American goal-scoring machine Oliver Wahlstrom, the tale will ultimately be told up close and personal in the Battle of New York.

The tale of Vitali and Ollie.

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And, though this should surprise no one on earth, John Tavares won’t be on Vitali’s side. That became official Saturday. For even as there is no guarantee he will be Ollie’s teammate, either, No. 91 declaring his intention to meet with five teams in the interview period that commences Sunday, the Rangers are not on his list.

The expectation is that Tavares will re-up with the Islanders for an eight-year deal in the $100 million neighborhood, but there’s always the chance that a suitor will sweep him off his feet. Toronto, for instance, which might try to appeal to him to come home on a one-year deal for $15.9 million as the first player ever to receive a max contract, and for a team seemingly much closer to winning the Stanley Cup than the Islanders. Probably not, but at least president Brendan Shanahan and general manager Kyle Dubas will have the opportunity to make their pitch.

Again. Nothing that happened this weekend will impact the Rangers team that David Quinn will coach this year. But Quinn himself will have impact, regardless of the deals and free-agent signings management makes this summer. The Rangers, who devolved into a team that consistently turned the other cheek, will play with an edge.

“I want our guys to go hard, to battle, to get to the front of the net and hold their ground,” Quinn said during a brief conversation Friday night. “We’re going to be a hard team to play against.”

A check of the tapes of Boston University last season reveals Brady Tkachuk and Jordan Greenway drawing penalties after getting to the front of the net and holding their ground. And when coincidental penalties would occasionally result from engaging the enemy, well, that was just the collateral price of doing business.

A story about Quinn and how he relates to players: When Greenway left school to play for the Wild after playing for Team USA in the Olympics, the winger made his NHL debut in Nashville in March. Unannounced, Quinn made the trip down from Boston to be there for the 21-year-old.

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General manager Jeff Gorton has had talks with representatives for all his restricted free agents other than Spooner, with whom he will check in this week. Hayes, a year away from unrestricted free agency, is believed to be seeking a five-year deal worth between upwards of $5.5 million per. Hey, it is an ask, not a non-negotiable demand. It is a place to start.

Hayes remains the club’s most marketable available asset. Calgary, believed one of the most interested parties entering the weekend, went in a different direction by trading Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland and the rights to Adam Fox to Carolina for Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. Perhaps Fox, the righty defenseman heading into his junior year at Harvard, could be flipped to New York.

There are moves to be made. Gorton will jump into the free-agent market, but is not expected to swim in the deep end of expensive long-term deals. He will look to fill holes with players who suit the team’s needs and satisfy Quinn’s requirements.

This weekend was about taking care of the future. Now, the Rangers go to work on the present. Everyone isn’t going to still be here next week, let alone in October.