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Rangers get a good deal in re-signing Chris Kreider

Tampa Bay Lightning v New York Rangers - Game Two

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 18: Chris Kreider #20 of the New York Rangers celebrates after scoring a goal in the first period against Ben Bishop #30 of the Tampa Bay Lightning during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 18, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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The New York Rangers avoided Friday’s scheduled arbitration session with Chris Kreider, instead signing the restricted free agent.

Terms aren’t quite official yet, although it appears that the consensus is that it’s a four-year deal with a cap hit a bit under $5 million per season.

Aaron Ward reports that it’s $4.625 million per year, although there might be some fluidity to that exact number.

The New York Post’s Larry Brooks backs that up:

Even if Kreider experiences peaks and valleys from a production standpoint, this continues the Rangers’ run of getting good deals on RFAs. Whether they inspire loyalty or merely drive a hard bargain, they tend to keep their homegrown guys for reasonable prices (while breaking the bank for big names with sometimes iffy results).

Kreider is 25, so this deal eats up a healthy chunk of UFA potential.

Echoing Leonard’s point, Brooks believed that Kyle Palmieri could serve as a comparable for Kreider, yet Kreider took one few year and $4.625 million to Palmieri’s $4.65 million.

(Of course, that could be to Kreider’s advantage if the cap climbs in the future and he ends up signing a well-timed deal then.)

The Rangers initially faced five possible arbitration hearings, but now only Kevin Hayes remains, with that scheduled for July 27.

It’s not a big surprise to see most of these hearings being avoided. Feelings can be hurt in many of those cases.