The Rangers traded the past and the future for the present Wednesday morning, obtaining 38-year-old reigning Art Ross winner Martin St. Louis from the Lightning in exchange for captain Ryan Callahan, a first-round draft pick in 2015 and a second-rounder in 2014.
The deal — which came to fruition once final talks on a contract extension between general manager Glen Sather and Callahan’s camp collapsed — comes with conditions.
If the Rangers reach the conference final this year, the 2014 pick becomes a first-rounder. If Callahan, a pending free agent, signs with Tampa Bay, the Rangers will receive the Lightning’s second-round pick in 2015 while yielding their seventh-rounder.
“I want to thank Ryan and his family for everything,” Sather said before the Rangers lost to the Maple Leafs, 3-2, in overtime at the Garden. “He’s a hard-working, tenacious, gritty hockey player, but I think the guy coming in gives us the chance to advance farther than we expected this year.”
St. Louis does come in with a bit of baggage. He forced his way out of Tampa Bay after spending the first 14 years of his career there, including winning his lone Stanley Cup in 2004. He asked ownership and management to trade him to the Rangers — and the Rangers only — when he originally was snubbed for selection to the Canadian Olympic Team by Team Canada and Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman.
“There are a lot of things that were part of the equation, and that had something to do with it, for sure,” St. Louis said. “For the most part, it was a family decision, and I’ll leave it at that.”
The winger, who was a minus-1 with three shots on goal in 20:11 of ice time in his debut, ultimately was picked for Team Canada as an injury replacement for former teammate Steve Stamkos, but St. Louis pressed the issue with Yzerman — and previously with owner Jeff Vinik, sources said — after returning with the gold medal from Sochi.
He wrote a letter published in the Tampa media and distributed by the Lightning that apologized to the fan base for the way his departure happened, and he knows he left on a sour note.
“It’s a fresh wound right now,” said St. Louis, who now has 61 points (29 goals, 32 assists) in 63 games this season and a Hall-of-Fame track of 973 career points (369-604) in 1,042 NHL games. “I didn’t really get a chance to say goodbye. I owe a lot of the fans. The same reason why they fell in love with me many years ago is the same reason why they probably understand what I’m all about.
“I think I’m a character guy, and I know this is hard for them. I didn’t take this decision lightly, but I knew it was the right one.”
Callahan, who had spent his entire 450-game career as a Ranger and had been captain since the start of the 2011-12 season, had been asking for a six-year, $39 million deal while the Rangers ultimately offered a take-it-or-leave it, six years at $36 million after increasing their five-year, $30 million offer.
Sather said even as the gap in money narrowed, Callahan’s insistence on a no-trade clause proved the final barrier to concluding a deal with him.
“At some point in a negotiation you have to say no,” said Sather, who last week gave Dan Girardi a six-year contract that included a full no-move clause for three years followed by a limited no-trade for the final three years. “The no-trade was one thing that really bothered me in the end. … It really ties your hands.”
St. Louis, who is under contract through next season with a $5.63 million salary-cap hit, did win that one Cup with center Brad Richards, with whom he was reunited in his Blueshirts’ debut. Showing some of that past chemistry could keep Richards from being an amnesty buyout this summer, and could help the Rangers get over the hump of last year’s first-round playoff exit.
“Marty is obviously an elite player with an elite skill level,” said coach Alain Vigneault. “We’re losing our captain, so obviously there is going to be an impact in the room, but bringing in this type of player should help ease the transition.
“I really believe this makes us a better team.”