The New York Rangers have avoided arbitration after last-second negotiations with forward Ryan Callahan, who has received a three-year contract for $12.825 million. Callahan made $2.4 million in 2010-11.
Rangers Agree To Terms With Forward Ryan Callahan, Avoid Arbitration
Callahan’s agent Steve Bartlett had been planning to head to Toronto to participate in an arbitration hearing, but he and the Rangers were able to work out a deal at the last moment.
“I reached out to Jeff Gorton, the Rangers’ assistant general manager, and we beat each other up for a few hours this morning,” Bartlett said. “We found a compromise, which was close enough for both sides and better than the alternative of going to a hearing.”
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Chris Campoli is the only player to go to arbitration this offseason. NHL teams and player agents tend to try to work out deals rather than going to arbitration. Also, in Callahan's particular case, going to arbitration would have resulted in a one-year deal that would have put him on the open market as a 27-year-old unrestricted free agent. That might have made it tough for the Rangers to keep him.
Callahan scored 48 points in 60 games with the Rangers last year.
For more on the New York Rangers, including plenty of analysis of the Callahan signing, check out Blueshirt Banter.
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