Report: Zibanejad holding out for big money

Can the Rangers talk him down before arbitration? One side will need to make a huge concession.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Report: Zibanejad holding out for big money
Keystone Press

With his salary arbitration slated for Tuesday afternoon, Mika Zibanejad has named his price. According to a report from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Zibanejad is seeking a new deal with an annual average salary north of $5 million, while the team has countered just north of $4 million.

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Is big Z worth $5+ million per season? It really depends on whether or not he can develop into the top line center that the Rangers are hoping he can become. If not, it’s a big ticket to pay for a complimentary player. Zibanejad is a difficult player to evaluate since trade and injury have factored into his play the past two seasons. For what it’s worth, he was excellent for the Rangers in the playoffs this year, scoring 9 points in 12 games.

So, what’s a fair price for the 24 year-old? Interestingly enough a direct comparable might be the five year, $25 million contract that Derick Brassard, the player Zibanejad was trade for, signed with the Rangers in 2014. Or how about Philadelphia Flyers forward Brayden Schenn? He signed s similar deal with a $5.125 cap hit at the same age as Zibanejad. While it remains to be seen what final number ends up being, both sides will need to work hard over the next two days to bridge the divide between themselves if they want to avoid an arbitration hearing on Tuesday.