Connect with us

New York Rangers

New York Rangers Sign Zibanejad to 8-Yr Contract Extension

The New York Rangers have signed center Mika Zibanejad to an eight-year contract extension.

Early Sunday morning, as per Larry Brooks, the New York Rangers were closing in on an extension for their star center Mika Zibanejad. By mid-morning, the Rangers confirmed the reports, announcing a deal. He wrote, “BREAKING: Rangers, Zibanejad agree on an extension, Post has learned, eight years in the range of $8.5M per… A year or two more than NYR would have preferred, but allows the AAV to be workable…Should put a damper on Eichel talk.”

Related: Alexandar Georgiev Denies Asking for Trade from Rangers

Zibanejad posted a video on social media and said, “Hi Rangers fans. I’m super super excited to be here for another eight years. Can’t believe it and I can’t wait to see you guys at the Garden soon. Let’s get this season started.”

There was a bit of chatter that perhaps the Rangers were looking at replacing Zibanejad with Jack Eichel. It might not have been an immediate move, but there was some doubt the Rangers would want to commit this many dollars and terms to a player that has performed well for them, but may or may not be a franchise pivot. In the end, the Rangers and decided to stick with what they know.

Rangers general manager Chris Drury said of the extension, “Since joining the team in 2016, Mika has emerged as one of the premier players in the NHL.” He adds, “In addition to being a great player on the ice, Mika is an exemplary person off of the ice. We are fortunate to have him as part of our Rangers organization and are excited that he will continue his career in New York.”

Mika Zibanejad New York Rangers 1
Mika Zibanejad New York Rangers 1

He is a top-line scoring center who plays in multiple situations. He’s considered a good two-way player but there are going to be questions about signing him to this number until he’s 37 years old. Some will argue that the cap hit is lower than expected considering what he might have earned on the open market. He should be considered a value for the first few seasons of the deal. The later years, as with any long-term contract, will be the real challenge.

Next: Sabres and Interested Teams Agree to Eichel Trade Condition

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

More News

Discover more from NHL Trade Talk

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading