Now that Cody Franson re-signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Rangers forward Derek Stepan is the final restricted free agent left to sign and it may not be long before that’s taken care of.
Multiple reports say the two sides are close to a new deal. CBC’s Elliotte Friedman says they’re close to a two-year deal that would pay in the neighborhood of $6.5 million.
That report meshes well with what Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported over the weekend saying the two sides were about $600,000 apart. Stepan was seeking something closer to $7 million while the Rangers and GM Glen Sather were looking to go as high as $6.4 million.
With the Rangers opening their season on the road in Phoenix on October 3, getting a deal done as soon as possible will give Stepan a chance to get acquainted with Alain Vigneault’s system. The sooner the better works for him as he’s also hoping to land a spot on Team USA’s Olympic team.
Related: Sather: Stepan not ‘big enough of a fool’ to let contract stalemate continue