Report: Rangers, Lemieux roughly $1M apart in arbitration filings
The New York Rangers and forward Brendan Lemieux appear to be far apart in contract negotiations.
With Lemieux's arbitration hearing scheduled for Friday, the team filed for a two-year deal worth roughly $1.0125 million per year while the player is seeking $2 million annually, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
The son of four-time Stanley Cup champion Claude Lemieux, Brendan is a chip off the old block - in a sense. The 24-year-old plays the same old-school, physical, agitating game his father did, as evidenced by the 164 hits and 111 penalty minutes he accumulated this past season.
He's yet to reach offensive heights similar to his father's, however, as his modest 18 points in 59 games for the Rangers last season marked a career high.
New York is also reportedly more than $2 million apart in negotiations with center Ryan Strome, whose arbitration hearing is set for Thursday.