The Ryan Callahan trade rumors are starting to heat up as the deadline gets closer and teams like the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks could be options, while many think a Martin St. Louis deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning is another potential avenue to explore.
The Rangers of course would rather not trade their captain and arguably one of their best players, but they might not have a choice. The team knows that Callahan is heading to free agency and they have been working to sign him to an extension, but the battle on both sides is about the length and value of that extension, as Callahan is looking for a six or seven year deal worth near $7 million per season, while the Rangers have offered a more modest deal at five years and a bit less money. Glen Sather now must decide what the chances are of signing Callahan back if he hits the open market and the risk of losing him for nothing, along with what he could get for him in a trade to at least get back some value.
The Rangers cap situation could get dicey depending on how this turns out, as the team signed Henrik Lundqvist to an extension earlier in the season and also have high priced players in Brad Richards and Rick Nash as well. Callahan has been the heart and soul for this team over the years, but he has not been his usual self this season and in 42 games he had 11 goals and 13 assists for just 24 points and he is not going to get paid what he wants if that becomes his usual scoring output. Callahan has had some great years for the Rangers, but now things may come down to just money.
The two sides are expected to speak at least one more time before the trading deadline next week, according to the NY Daily News, but if nothing gets done then, a deal for Callahan could be coming. Callahan should get some attention from playoff teams, but many may be leery of trading for a so called rental player, as he is looking to hit free agency and not sign an extension with a team if he is traded.
Callahan is coming up on his 29th birthday and he could be a nice option for the St. Louis Blues, as the Rangers have said they like Chris Stewart, while the Lightning deal has been rumored for St. Louis. A split is likely and the Rangers are coming into the second stretch of the season in nice playoff position, but they need to make some moves to be a contender and while trading a captain never seems like a good idea, here it might be worth it since the team probably won't meet the demands of Callahan when it comes to the years. The money could come out okay for Callahan and the team with less years, but he is looking for that security and no one can blame him for that, especially considering he has not yet been a free agent in his career.
