New York Rangers News: Derick Brassard Signs Five-Year Deal To Avoid Arbitration
The New York Rangers have locked up Derick Brassard on a five-year deal to avoid his arbitration hearing tomorrow afternoon.
According to Elliotte Friedman, the New York Rangers have locked up Derick Brassard on a long-term, five-year deal, and will avoid salary arbitration originally scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. The deal is set to pay Brassard an annual average of $5 million per season, with a total payout of $25 million over the duration. It may seem like a steep price to pay for a number two center, but considering the market value, it's about right.
Brassard could have easily commanded $5+ million on the open market next year, and there would have been teams lining up to pay him. The Rangers wound up buying out several UFA years of Brassard, and compromised with a slightly higher cap hit as a result. Plus, with the cap continuing to increase over the next several years, Brassard's deal is going to take up less and less of a percentage, which will only make him even more valuable.
In 81 regular season games last season with the Rangers, Brassard put up 18 goals (career high), and 27 assists for 46 total points.
With Brassard back in the fold, the Rangers will have approximately $1.3 million of cap space remaining to sign their final RFA, John Moore. That number does not include the likes of J.T. Miller ($894k), but includes Chris Mueller ($600k), Mike Kostka ($650k), Matt Hunwick ($650k), and Jesper Fast ($805k). At least two of those players mentioned above will start the year in Hartford, which would give the Rangers some additional cap relief.
