marc staal
Staal (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images)

Per Larry Brooks, the New York Rangers and Marc Staal are closing in on a six-year deal between $5.6 and $5.9 million per season. The deal will take Staal through his age-34 season. The Rangers have somewhere around $20 million in cap space for next year, depending on the actual cap number, and Staal’s contract will eat up at least 25% of that space.

With Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello also set to be free agents, Zucc an unrestricted free agent, there will be some tough decisions to make if Staal’s deal is signed.

Staal has been a fixture on the Rangers blue line since the 2007-2008 season after the Rangers traded up to grab him in the first round of the 2005 draft. Injuries marred his 2011-2013 seasons, and we’ve done some analysis on his very odd career arc. Some here think an extension is a bad idea, others a good idea. I’m on the fence, but I don’t like six-year deals for someone who isn’t a guarantee.

Update: Pierre LeBrun has noted the deal will have a full NTC in the first three years, and a partial NTC in the last three years. The deal will also have a full no-move clause, pertaining to waivers.

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