Rangers will play it cautiously with Kevin Hayes’ return
It will be nine games out and 16 to go until the trade deadline when Kevin Hayes returns to the Rangers lineup following the club’s mandated off-week that commences following Saturday night’s match in Boston.
For the organization has reached the common-sense decision to hold out No. 13 from the match against the Bruins once it was determined he would not be quite ready to play in Thursday’s Garden contest against the Blackhawks.
The pending free-agent center and potential rental property practiced without limitations on a line with Filip Chytil and Ryan Strome, but the decision to keep him bubble-wrapped had been reached before the Blueshirts took the ice.
“Given the break, it makes sense to hold him out,” David Quinn said. “We don’t want to take the chance he could have a setback. When he comes back after the break, there will be no looking back.”
No, only looking ahead to the Feb. 25 deadline, by which time Hayes — third on the club with 33 points (10 goals, 23 assists) — will either be elsewhere or working on a fat contract extension. There is no indication the Rangers have engaged in serious negotiating with No. 13’s agent, Bob Murray, though the parties have talked.
Hayes has missed seven straight with an unidentified mid-body issue that originated in the Dec. 14 game against the Coyotes, when he crashed into the rear boards late in regulation but through which he played for the following eight games recording 10 points (two goals, eight assists).
The Rangers come off their break on Jan. 29 at the Garden against the Flyers.
Mats Zuccarello’s revival continued Tuesday when No. 36 not only posted three assists but played with his old-time verve in going to high-traffic areas and winning pucks. The Norwegian has six points (three goals, three assists) in his past three games following a stretch in which he had five points (1-4) in 14 games after making his return on Dec. 14 from a lengthy injury-related absence.
Quinn, both following the 6-2 victory over the Hurricanes and after Wednesday’s practice, talked about how the pending free agent, who is likely to be dealt by the deadline, seems more at ease with the situation after recent chats with the coach, general manager Jeff Gorton and president Glen Sather.
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“These situations are not easy to handle. They’re human beings,” Quinn said. “He loves being a Ranger. He and I have had a lot of discussions about it. I think he’s in a better place mentally.”
Be that as it may, Don Meehan, Zuccarello’s agent, told The Post via email late Tuesday that there have been no discussions with the team regarding a possible contract extension for the 31-year-old, who first arrived on the scene at the 2010 training camp and is third on the club in seniority behind Henrik Lundqvist and Marc Staal.
The Oilers are believed to be interested in Zuccarello. So, too, Carolina, which is both light on forwards and is seeking to move pending free-agent winger Micheal Ferland. The Rangers would not be interested in Ferland, but rather the rights to Harvard junior defenseman Adam Fox.
Lundqvist, whose victory Tuesday marked his first of the calendar year following a brutal 0-3/6.43/.786 start to 2019, will be in nets against the Blackhawks. Chicago is tied with LA and Ottawa for the worst record in the league, all seven games below .500.