Despite one-year deal, Kevin Hayes wants to be a part of the Rangers future

FOXBOROUGH – It’s hard to miss Kevin Hayes on the ice. His big 6-foot-5-inch, 217-pound frame is what separates him from the cluster of players on the ice, but only as much as the iconic red New York Rangers shorts. They’re easy to spot in the jumble of amateur and pro colors that dot the ice at the Foxboro Sports Center.

It wasn’t until two days before Hayes took the ice Wednesday for a skate in the Foxboro Pro League that it was certain he’d be in a Rangers uniform next season.

Hayes, the 26-year-old Dorchester native and former Boston College standout, signed a one-year, $5.125 million deal with the Rangers Monday, which meant the restricted free agent avoided arbitration.

The new deal nearly doubled the average annual value of Hayes’ previous contract, which paid him $2.6 million.

“We both mutually agreed that contract was in both sides’ best interest,” Hayes said. “I love playing [in New York], I love this city, I love the fans. I’m a Boston kid at heart but I call New York my home and I’d like to be a Ranger my whole career.”

Projecting a long-term outlook for Hayes and the Rangers is where it gets convoluted. The team is caught in the middling phases of rebuilding the foundation of the organization. General manager Jeff Gorton showed his hand when he dealt core players J.T. Miller, Ryan McDonagh, Rick Nash, and Michael Grabner at the trade deadline. Last summer the Rangers dumped Derek Stepan to the Coyotes and he responded with 56 points in 82 games.

So why no long-term deal for Hayes, who’s been a steady, consistent producer for the Rangers? He has 174 points in 310 games. Last year he scored a career-high 25 goals – a benchmark number for a player who’s assumed the role as the team’s defensive center.

The perception is that a one-year deal spells an all but certain departure at the trade deadline and Hayes admits he’s aware of the projected storyline. He’s not listening to it, nor does he view the pact as a “prove-it” deal.

“I think I know what I’ve done here,” Hayes said. “I’ve played over 300 games. If you need more than 300 to prove it then I don’t know what else to prove here … I know there’s a lot of rumors, one-year, trade deadline, but that’s just fans and media. Not everyone knows what goes on inside that locker room. We’re in a bit of a rebuild here and I want to be a main part of that. Obviously, people on the outside think long term means being a part of it. In my mind, I’ll be a Ranger for a long time. One year, I’ll play how I’ve been playing.”

Mika Zibanejad signed a five-year contract last year and is a core piece for the Rangers to build around. They have a talented duo of center prospects in Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil, the latter of which was the No. 7 pick produced from the Stepan trade.

That all bodes well for the future, but Hayes can have an immediate impact now which benefits the Rangers.

The arrival of former Boston University coach Dave Quinn could also spark an even better year from Hayes, who has an extensive relationship with the Rangers new coach after playing against the Terriers while he was at BC.

Hayes has been in frequent contact with Quinn since he was named the Rangers’ replacement for Alain Vigneault.

“I talked to him before I signed the deal and we had a good conversation,” Hayes said. “He’s probably more excited than all the players [about the Rangers future]. It took him a lot to leave the situation he was in. He was in a good situation, being the coach of one of the most prestigious teams. It was pretty cool I would think. He’s trying to build a whole new culture maybe if you want to call it that and he’s leading the charge. Our best players will follow behind that.”