Anton Stralman Rejects Contract Offer
The Rangers are attempting to extend the right-handed Swedish blueliner.
According to the New York Post, the Rangers offered Anton Stralman a contract extension before the Olympic break. The contract was supposedly worth $9 million over three years but apparently that wasn't the kind of deal Stralman was looking for.
From the Post:
The Post has learned Anton Stralman rejected the Rangers’ offer prior to the Olympics for an extension believed in the three-year, $9 million range, which is somewhat shocking. The Blueshirts, who have righty Kevin Klein on the third pair at $2.9 million, will take another go at it after the season. If they succeed in extending Stralman, that would seem to throw a detour into Dylan McIlrath’s path to Broadway.
If Stralman had accepted the contract he would have remained the fourth highest paid defenseman on the team but would have received a significant raise. His salary for this season, according to capgeek.com, is $1.8 million. Stralman is fourth on the Rangers in TOI/G with 19:35 and is among the least productive Rangers in points this season. However, Stralman's game is about a lot more than picking up assists here and there, he is a fancy stats darling and his right handedness gives the Rangers blue line a harmonious balance.I think most of us can agree that he is a great deal more valuable than his production.
I expected the Rangers to extend Stralman and I also expected it would cause some anxiety for those who are eager to see Dylan McIlrath or Conor Allen in the Rangers lineup next year. All signs point to the Rangers attempting to get the pending unrestricted free agent under contract and keep him part of the team but Stralman, now 27 years old, is entering his prime and is likely looking for a notable raise and some job security. The Rangers re-signed Stralman as a restricted free agent to a two-year deal that took up $1.7 million of cap space after his surprising play in the 2010-2011 campaign. The addition of Kevin Klein, also a right handed shot, for Michael Del Zotto could make things more interesting. Klein currently takes up $2.9 million of cap space and plays a less significant role than Stralman currently does.
So, what do you guys think? Is Stralman worth $3 million in cap space? More? Less? What will the Rangers blue line look like next season? Let me know what you think in the comments section.
Let's go Rangers.
