With the Olympic break roster freeze coming Monday and the trade deadline coming March 5, just one week after NHL regular-season play resumes, the Rangers have continued to discuss trade options involving 28-year-old captain Ryan Callahan, but will also continue talking to his representation about hashing out a new contract, according to reports.
According to ESPN, there will be continued discussions between Callahan's camp and the Rangers this week in hopes that an extension can be worked out for the unrestricted free agent-to-be. Callahan has reportedly been seeking a seven-year $42 million deal with the Rangers not wanting to commit seven years to a player that is always at a risk for injury due to the hard-nosed play of their captain.
Callahan sacrifices his body to block shots and kill penalties for his team, which makes him a risk to sign to a long-term deal while also makes him hard to retain due to the demand from other teams in the league wanting that type of player.
ESPN reports that the Rangers made Callahan an offer of five-years $30 million.
"I'm going to circle back with the Rangers this week," Callahan's agent Steve Bartlett said via ESPNNewYork.com on Monday.
It was reported last week that the Rangers may deal Callahan if they can't work out a deal before the trade deadline since he will become an unrestricted free agent and they don't want to lose their captain for nothing if he decides to walk through free agency.
According to ESPN, the trade talks have simmered down over the last few days and while the Rangers gave Bartlett permission to speak to other teams, most of the calls he's received have only been to gauge how serious the Rangers are about trading him.
Bartlett told ESPN New York that there were no serious talks with other teams lately.
"Nothing in the last couple of days," he said via ESPNNewYork.com.
Callahan is expected to conference with Bartlett Tuesday, but the agent doesn't want to distract the Blueshirts captain from the Rangers last slew of games before the Olympic break. Callahan will play for Team U.S.A. in the Sochi Games. Callahan told ESPN over the weekend that he didn't think it was "productive" to openly talk about the negotiations with the media.
"He doesn't want to be drawn into the business side of it," Bartlett said
Callahan was drafted by the Rangers in the fourth round (147th overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, and has 21 points this season off of nine goals and 12 assists.
In his eight seasons with the club, the captain has appeared in 444 games while notching 130 goals and 120 assists for 250 points. It's what he does off of the score sheet that will make him so hard to retain.
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