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:
Sorry typo. $4.625 for Kreider.
— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) July 22, 2016
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.
#NYR re-sign @ChrisKreider. @NHL_AaronWard has him in at 4 yrs, $4.625 per. One year less than other comparables, $ on lower end spectrum
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) July 22, 2016
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.)
Chris Kreider contract with #NYR has 11 team no trade in last two years. Paid $5M,$5M,$4.5M,$4M.
— Aaron Ward (@NHL_AaronWard) July 22, 2016
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.