Agent: Rangers, Staal making 'progress' but contract extension not imminent
The New York Rangers and defenseman Marc Staal are continuing to broach the subject of a contract extension, and agent Paul Krepelka, told The New York Post the two sides have "made some progress" towards that end.
Krepelka, however, stopped short of saying a deal is likely to happen anytime soon.
“I’m not giving daily updates, not getting into ‘close or not close,’" Krepelka said. “The tenor of the talks has been good, so we’ll keep going and keep working on it. There’s certainly no deadline on our part for getting this done.
"If this becomes a distraction at any time for Marc," he continued, "then we’d have to take another look at it. But it’s all been positive to this point.”
According to The Post's Larry Brooks, the gap between the two sides is not insignificant.
Staal, who will turn 28 in January, is believed to be seeking a six- or seven-year deal in the neighborhood of $6 million per – perhaps somewhat more. The Rangers are believed to be offering the same deal to which they signed Girardi, six years at $5.5 million per – perhaps somewhat less.
In order to reach a deal, both parties will have to compromise.
The Rangers faced a similar situation with a trio of players last season. Dan Girardi and Henrik Lundqvist signed extensions in-season, and Ryan Callahan was traded prior to the trade deadline. At this point, it's anyone's guess where Staal will fall on that spectrum.
Staal – drafted 12th overall by the Rangers in 2005 – recorded three goals and 11 assists while averaging 20:31 of ice time in 72 games in 2013-14.