New York Rangers centre Kevin Hayes is hoping he can stay with the team through their current rebuild, though the decision may be taken out of his hands.

Hayes, 26, is currently playing on a one-year, $5.175 million contract signed with the Rangers in the summer ahead of arbitration. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, but said Wednesday he hopes to open extension talks as soon as possible.

“I’m watching this develop, and it would be cool to be here for this rebuild. I want to be part of the future,” Hayes told The New York Post. “I’m going to stay out of it, my agent [Bob Murray] will do the talking, and nothing can happen until Jan. 1 anyway, but I would love for them to talk starting that day and get a deal done.

“It’s how I feel. I was looking around the city the other day and was thinking how this is what I know, the New York media, the New York Rangers, the New York fans, and this is where I want to be. I’m close to the coaches, the organization is great. This is a good formula for me.

“I try to be as honest a player as I can be and show people what they’re going to get from me every day.”

Hayes has two goals and one assist through nine games this season. He scored 25 goals and posted 44 points in 76 games a year ago.

The Rangers annonced their intentions to rebuild last February and sold off veterans Rick Nash, Ryan McDonagh, J.T. Miller, Michael Grabner and Nick Holden ahead of the trade deadline.

Hayes is one of three pending unrestricted free agents on the Rangers, along with Mats Zuccarello and Adam McQuaid, though Larry Brooks of the Post believes he holds the most value. Brooks speculates a six-year deal for Hayes would fall in the salary range of $5.7 million-$6.2 million per year.

The Rangers are off to a 3-5-1 start this season and will visit the Chicago Blackhakws on Thursday.