Regarding the Rangers:
1. The critical decision confronting general manager Jeff Gorton is not choosing Kevin Hayes or Vlad Namestnikov to sign to a contract extension, it is whether to trade Hayes or Mika Zibanejad.
We reported Sunday that Hayes is seeking a five-year deal for upward of $5.5 million per year. At first blush, that seems a lot for a 26-year-old who has never hit the 50-point mark in his four NHL seasons.
But when compared to the five-year deal at $5.3 million per season for which a 24-year-old Zibanejad signed last summer, it is well within the ballpark — especially since No.