Ryan Callahan's days with the New York Rangers have appeared to be all but done the past few weeks. The team has been shopping their captain as the stare down for a contract extension continues. With the trade deadline just two days away, the Rangers have yet to engage in serious negotiations with other interested teams. Now, the captain may be leaning towards a pay cut over getting sent elsewhere.
According to ESPNNewYork.com, Callahan and his camp have moved off their request of a seven-year contract and are willing to accept a deal around five or six years instead. Callahan's change of heart came during the Olympic break creating some optimism around the captain's possible return for the long-term. However, the two sides continue to be in negotiations even with the lowered price tag and nothing has been finalized yet.
Callahan remains the most interesting player on the market right now. The right winger has 11 goals and 14 assists on the year as plenty of teams would love to try and put together a package to acquire him for the long-term. But general manager Glen Sather is determined to try and get a contract together in the next two days. While the two sides might agree on a length, the money is still where they disagree. The Rangers are standing firm at $6 million a year while Callahan wants $6.25 to $6.5 million.
After the Rangers fell to the Boston Bruins, Callahan told the media that prefers to stay in New York and that he was not looking at the matchup as his last game with the Rangers. He was quoted saying New York was where he belongs and he is going to remain focused on helping the team.
Can a deal for the captain get done in the next two days? Callahan has been linked in deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning for Martin St. Louis. The St. Louis Blues are also a favorable target. Both of those locations are mere speculation. Considering Callahan will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer, the Rangers are finding it hard to strike a deal.
