The other Badger is on his way to Broadway, too.
Multiple sources have told The Post that Wisconsin senior defenseman Ryan McDonagh will enter into contract negotiations with the Rangers this week, thus paving the way for him to join the club — and college teammate Derek Stepan — when training camp commences in September.
McDonagh, selected seventh overall by the Canadiens in 2007 before his rights were dealt to the Blueshirts last summer in the Scott Gomez trade, will sign a three-year Entry Level contract for a base (and base cap hit) of $875,000 as per the CBA. Negotiations over a bonus package are expected to conclude swiftly.
The 21-year-old Minnesotan, who played with Stepan as well as Rangers draft picks Chris Kreider and Ryan Bourque on this year’s gold-medal-winning USA World Junior team, is regarded by Blueshirts management and the coaching staff as an NHL-ready throwback, stay-at-home defender.
The Post has been told that McDonagh, who had been undecided between turning pro and returning to Madison for his senior season, was won over by the environment at last week’s Rangers’ prospect camp during which he mixed with fellow hopefuls and the team’s front-office personnel, notably general manager Glen Sather, coach John Tortorella and special assistants Mark Messier and Adam Graves.
Presuming the Blueshirts retain restricted free agents Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, the 6-1, 212-pound, left-hand shooting McDonagh would join a defense corps featuring the 23-year-old Staal, 26-year-old Girardi, 20-year-old Michael Del Zotto, 33-year-old Michal Rozsival, 26-year-old Matt Gilroy and 33-year-old Wade Redden.
Sather is in the market for a veteran free-agent defenseman who would serve as the team’s sixth or seventh, depending upon training camp evaluations and roster moves.