signed with the Rangers as a collegiate free agent. Due to their off-ice chemistry, Vigneault tried using them on a line together to start the season, but Hayes was eventually moved to the third line with Michael Grabner and Miller. On October 30, 2016, their line combined for nine points in an eventual 6–1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Hayes began strong with 13 goals and 22 assists in 47 games before suffering a lower body injury during a game against the Detroit Red Wings in January. At the conclusion of the first year of his new contract, Hayes improved his offensive abilities, scoring 17 goals and 32 assists for 49 points. In 12 appearances at the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs, Hayes recorded 0 goals and 3 assists, and the Rangers were eliminated in game six of the second round against the Ottawa Senators. The following season, Hayes missed six consecutive games due to another lower body injury, in this case leg contusions. Upon his return on January 25, 2018, he recorded an assist in the team's 6–5 win over the San Jose Sharks. On July 31, 2018, as a restricted free agent, Hayes re-signed a one-year contract with the Rangers. In the 2018–19 season, his fifth with the Rangers, Hayes increased his offensive output, contributing 42 points in 51 games. Despite his strong record, after missing nine games with an upper-body injury, he acknowledged his tenure with the team might be ending. A few days after making this statement, he was traded at the NHL trade deadline to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Brendan Lemieux and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Hayes learned about the trade after Jets winger Blake Wheeler texted him "Welcome to the team." Winnipeg Jets Upon being acquired by the Winnipeg Jets, Hayes was placed on a line with Mark Scheifele and Wheeler. On March 1, he scored his first goal with the team, and recorded two assists in a 5–3 win over the visiting Nashville Predators. He was subsequently named the game's third star. Later that month, while playing on a line with Kyle Connor, Hayes helped the Jets qualify for the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. In the post-season, he played on the fourth line with Mathieu Perreault and Jack Roslovic during their First round matchup against the