any situation that has kevin hayes as a number 2 center is a really really really bad one

This is just trading away some of the Rangers better pieces and making them older. Not a good idea.

I agree that having Kevin Hayes as your second line centre is not great in any way, however this team reflects what the Rangers should do come trade deadline day if they are still out of a playoff picture. Hayes can hold down that spot as the Rangers finish off the season with lottery aspirations. Secondly they have more cap room after theses trades and would get even more if they decide to buy out players like Callahan, Beleskey or Staal , which they could ultiamtley use to add a center via free agency to push Hayes down the lineup. Secondly I don't see how this makes the Rangers that much older. They are getting younger players in Brett Howden, Adam Erne and Jakub Zboril, that have some upside, while also adding picks in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th rounds. They need to start building up their prospect pool to add to the younger guys that they have on the roster (MIller, Krider, Hayes, Fast, Vesey, Buch, Zibanejad).