Report: Rangers closing in on 6-year contract for D Marc Staal
The New York Rangers and Marc Staal are reportedly close to a new six-year contract.
By
Adam Gretz
•
1 min read
According to multiple reports on Friday morning, including Larry Brooks of the New York Post and Bob McKenzie of TSN, the New York Rangers are closing in on a six-year contract extension with defenseman Marc Staal that could pay him between $5.6 and $5.9 million per season.
Staal, 28, was going to be eligible for unrestricted free agency following the season if the Rangers do not re-sign him.
It would be a big move for a Rangers team that already has long-term money committed to Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi on the blue line, and one that probably carries a bit of a risk. Staal's offensive production is not what it was earlier in his career, and even though he is known more for his defensive play, defensemen like Staal do not tend to age well into their mid-30s.
It might not prove to be a costly deal now in the short-term (unless it impacts their ability to re-sign any of their other impending free agents or work out long-term deals with their upcoming restricted free agents) but it could become a problem down the line if Staal's game continues to decline. It's not that he is a bad player or a bad investment right now (because he is not), but the issue should be what he might become over the next few years. You should not be paying a player for what he already did for you; you should be trying to pay a player for what he is going to do for you.
With Staal set to be removed from the market, the top defensemen eligible for free agency after this season include Washington's Mike Green, Pittsburgh's Paul Martin and Christian Ehrhoff, Toronto's Cody Franson, Carolina's Andrej Sekera and the New York Islanders' Johnny Boychcuk.
