Hayes finished with a minus-2 rating without marking the scoresheet in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Blackhawks.

EDGE Analysis

Hayes still doesn't have a mulit-point performance since Oct. 21 and is sitting at just 17 points through 40 games. Part of the reason for Hayes' offensive decline is how coach Alain Vigneault has chosen to utilize the fourth-year center, as Hayes is now matching up defensively with opposing top lines rather than trying to score against weaker opponents. That new role is important to the Rangers but it doesn't do fantasy owners any favors.

Hayes scored his seventh goal in Friday's 4-2 win over the Kings.

EDGE Analysis

Hayes has failed to step up in the absence of Mika Zibanejad (concussion), as the goal was only his second point in the past eight games. With New York rolling three quality scoring lines, the 6-foot-5 center will still be in position to produce after Zibanejad returns, but Hayes doesn't have much fantasy value at the moment considering he's on pace for a career-low 33 points.

Hayes finished with a minus-1 rating and two shots in 19:04 of ice time while scoring a goal that was waved off in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Panthers.

EDGE Analysis

Hayes thought he had tied the game 4-4 in the second period after a beautiful move to take the puck from the outside to right in front, but a goalie interference penalty on Rick Nash erased the would-be goal. While New York challenged that decision, the subjective nature of goaltender interference allowed the call on the ice to stand. Another lengthy escapade around the offensive zone with the puck on his stick allowed Hayes to draw a penalty in the third period. His deliberate style clashes with the rest of his team's uptempo pace, but Hayes remains a key contributor at the center position and skated in a first-line role here with Mika Zibanejad (upper body) sidelined.

Hayes opened the scoring Sunday against Ottawa. It's all the team would end up needing in a 3-0 victory.

EDGE Analysis

Hayes is hitting his stride as the team's second-line center, managing three points in his last four games. The 25-year-old only has nine points in 21 games, but he's got five goals, including two game-winners. While a slow start may be behind him, Hayes isn't playing on the power play and has gone through some long droughts this season. He can find twine every now and then, but now what you're getting.

Hayes scored his fourth goal of the season in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Blackhawks.

EDGE Analysis

Hayes ended a nine-game goal drought while recording a point for the second consecutive contest. The 25-year-old forward's quest for his first 50-point campaign has gotten off to a less-than-ideal start, but Hayes is beginning to round into form offensively. For now, he's on pace for a career-low 35 points with just eight through 19 games.

Hayes finished with an assist and four shots in Saturday's 4-2 win against the Oilers.

EDGE Analysis

The helper ends a four-game point drought as the first-round pick from the 2010 NHL Entry Draft has had a sluggish start with just seven points in his first 18 games. He's getting plenty of opportunities so he should pick up the offense as the season wears on.

Hayes was fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct Friday.

EDGE Analysis

Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos and Alex Killorn also got fined $5,000 for their actions in Thursday's game. They all avoided a suspension, at least for now, which comes as a relief for all parties involved.

Hayes recorded an assist and a plus-1 rating while playing nearly 17 minutes in Wednesday's 6-4 victory over Vegas.

EDGE Analysis

The Boston College product had failed to find the scoresheet in the three games prior to Wednesday, and now has three goals and six points in 13 games this season. After a resurgent campaign in 2016-17 that saw Hayes finish with 49 points in 76 games, his early struggles in 2017-18 could be attributed to a lack of ice time with the man advantage. A season ago, Hayes averaged one minute and 28 seconds of power-play time on ice and scored seven points, while this season he's without a point and averaging just 26 seconds of power-play ice time per game.

Hayes scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Predators.

EDGE Analysis

Hayes now has three points in his last two games, but just five overall in nine games. He's coming off a career-high 49 points last season and needs to pick up the pace a bit to build on that success.

Hayes' first-period goal was all his team got in a 3-1 Friday loss at Columbus.

EDGE Analysis

Hayes opening his account was the one bright spot for the Rangers' skaters. New York has scored just four times in its last three games, and those struggles are a big reason why they're 1-4-0. Getting Hayes going would be a big help for both the Blueshirts and his owners.