Derek Stepan, unsigned and therefore out of camp, is seeking nothing other from the Rangers than “the fair market value he has earned,” Matt Oates, the center’s agent, told The Post on Thursday.
“Derek isn’t interested in negotiating his contract through the press, but there’s been a lot of speculation out there about what he’s asking for, and this and that,” Oates said in a phone conversation. “We just want to make sure there are no misconceptions.
“Derek has put himself in a category with all those guys coming out of Entry Level who received long-term contracts,’’ he said. “He’s earned that, but we have never said that we wouldn’t explore a short-term deal, either. We’re just looking for a deal that will reflect his performance.
“I think it’s beneficial for the Rangers to lock him up long-term, but if that’s not possible at this time, we’re certainly willing to engage management on a short-term deal in order to get this done and get Derek on the ice.”
Stepan led the Rangers with 44 points (18-26) last season in the final year of his club-friendly, three-year Entry Level deal in which he earned $875,000 per. His career numbers (56-84-140) compare favorably to athletes within in his age class and experience level.
Indeed, Stepan, who has finished each of the last two seasons as the Blueshirts’ first-line center, recorded the eighth-most points in the NHL the last three years among players who were 23 or younger at the conclusion of 2012-13.
The Hastings, Minn., native notably out-produced Carolina’s Jeff Skinner (64-67-131), who is on a six-year second contract worth $5.25 million per year, as well as Colorado’s Matt Duchene (58-80-138), who is on the second and final season of a two-year deal worth $3.5M per prior to a five-year extension at $6M per that kicks in next year.
It is believed that the Rangers have offered Stepan a two-year deal worth between $2.5-and-$2.7M per. The Maple Leafs on Tuesday signed Group II free agent forward Nazem Kadri—who recorded the same 18-26-44 as Stepan last year in his first full NHL season—to a two-year contract worth $2.9M per.
The issue here isn’t whether Stepan deserves to be paid. He does. The issue is that without the arbitration rights that fellow Group II free agent Ryan McDonagh was able to parlay into a six-year deal worth $4.7M per in July, Stepan has no systemic leverage to use against the Rangers beyond withholding his services.
“We all like Derek and want him here, but I’ve told him that his agent is being unrealistic,” general manager Glen Sather told The Post while the Rangers went through their on-ice skating/conditioning tests. “We’re just not close at this point.
“When you look at the CBA, without (arbitration) rights, he’s going to get a ‘gap’ deal. That’s the way it is. It’s silly for him to miss camp at his age.”
At this point though, the negotiation is no longer over term. It’s about dollars. The Rangers have limited cap space available for the opening roster —as currently constituted, anything over $3M would be a stretch while leaving the club vulnerable to an October injury before Ryan Callahan and Carl Hagelin are cleared to play — but that’s of the team’s own design, not Stepan’s.
“We’re not being unreasonable or unrealistic by any means,” Oates said. “Derek wants to be a Ranger. We haven’t even explored the possibility of an offer sheet. The objective is to get a deal done with New York.
“We’re talking. There’s dialogue. There’s no animosity,” Oates said. “Derek isn’t asking for anything he hasn’t earned. He just wants a fair deal and is willing to talk about a short-term contract if that’s what it takes.
“It’s important that people understand that.”