Completion of Marc Staal six-year contract extension with NY Rangers 'imminent'

 COLUMBUS – The Rangers’ new slogan to sell season tickets, as Marc Staal prepares to cross the ‘T’ on a new six-year contract extension, should have a presidential ring to it: Four more years[news hockey].

In other words, once Staal’s “imminent” deal becomes official – likely during Saturday’s travel day to Pittsburgh – it will guarantee at least four more years together of franchise goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and the Blueshirts’ Blue Line Big Three:
                   Staal, Dan Girardi and captain Ryan McDonagh[news hockey].

Staal’s contract is believed to pay the alternate captain between $5.6 million and $5.9 million per season,
adding up to anywhere from $33.6 million to $35 million overall. That reflects the reasonably rising price for top-end defensemen, compared to last year’s five-year, $27.5 million deal inked by Girardi[news hockey].

Staal, 28, who was scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, is in his eighth NHL season, all as a Ranger. The franchise drafted him 14th overall in the 2005 NHL draft, and he is still irreplaceable on the left side after 501 career regular season games and 69 playoff matches[news hockey].

The Daily News confirmed a Friday morning report that Staal’s agent, Paul Krepelka, and Rangers assistant general manager Jeff Gorton met on Thursday in Boston to make progress toward the six-year contract.
A source told the Daily News late Friday morning that completion of the contract was “imminent,” and as of Friday evening it was simply a matter of the negotiated deal being finalized and announced[news hockey].

“Marc Staal is in my opinion one of the best defenders in the league,” coach Alain Vigneault said before Friday night’s game in Columbus. “I’m not exactly sure where they are right now with all that (contract talk), but I definitely appreciate him staying on my team[news hockey].”

The Rangers’ other pending unrestricted free agents are Martin St[news hockey]. Louis, Mats Zuccarello, Lee Stempniak and Matt Hunwick. Derek Stepan, Carl Hagelin, Jesper Fast and John Moore are pending restricted free agents[news hockey].
The team will have approximately $20 million in cap space if the NHL ceiling raises from $69 million to the approximated $73 million range[news hockey].