The Rangers once again barely avoided an ugly arbitration hearing when they signed restricted free-agent center Derick Brassard on Sunday to a five-year, $25 million deal.
The 26-year-old was set to have a hearing on Monday, but the middle ground of an even $5 million annual salary-cap charge was found before each party had to bring their arguments to a third party.
Brassard registered a career-high 18 goals last season in 81 regular-season games, and was a stabilizing force as the pivot of a team’s most consistently productive offensive line with Mats Zuccarello and Benoit Pouliot all the way on their run to the Stanley Cup final.
Although Pouliot left for the greener pastures of Edmonton, signing a five-year, $20 million deal with the Oilers, Zuccarello was resigned as a restricted free agent to a one-year, $3.5 million deal.
He joined fellow restricted free-agent forward Chris Kreider, who was locked up with a two-year, $4.95 million deal. Both Zuccarello and Kreider had arbitration hearings set, as well, but both were avoided with deals signed shortly before they were set to commence.
Defenseman John Moore remains the only restricted free agent the team has remaining, and he does not have arbitration rights.
The bevy of summer signings — along with the early-summer buyout of Brad Richards — has left the Rangers with approximately $4 million remaining under the salary cap in order to lock up Moore and at least two more depth players.
Brassard was drafted No. 6 overall by the Blue Jackets in 2006, and after struggling to find his game and clashing with then-coach Scott Arniel — now a Rangers’ assistant — he came to the Blueshirts in the middle of the 2012-13 season in a deal that sent Marian Gaborik to Columbus. Brassard seemed to assimilate easily at the beginning of this year under the system of new head coach Alain Vigneault, who had hired Arniel to run the power play.
Brassard finished the season tied for the team lead in power-play goals (seven) and power-play points (18).