The Rangers and Mats Zuccarello have taken care of business, avoiding a salary arbitration hearing by agreeing Tuesday morning to a one-year, $1.15 million contract.
The deal leaves approximately $2.8 million of space for the Blueshirts to sign Derek Stepan, their lone remaining restricted free agent. Stepan, the club’s first-line center, does not have arbitration rights.
The projected opening three-week absences for top-six wingers Ryan Callahan and Carl Hagelin, both of whom underwent labrum surgery following the playoffs, has created a cap squeeze for the Rangers, who will probably have to carry 15 forwards coming out of training camp.
The Blueshirts are at around $61.6 million for a shadow roster that features 14 forwards including J.T. Miller, and Danny Kristo, plus a combined $217,000 charge against Arron Asham and Darroll Powe, assuming both veterans begin the season with the AHL Wolf Pack.
Zuccarello, who recorded eight points (3-5) in 15 games after rejoining the Rangers in late March after playing the entire KHL season with Magnitogorsk and added seven points (1-6) in 12 playoff matches, probably would not have received a qualifying offer if not for the projected absences of Callahan and Hagelin.
Circumstances not only dictated that the Norwegian winger received a QO, but will allow him to compete in camp for a role on the top two lines.
Zuccarello, who will turn 25 in September, filed for arbitration off the $735,000 qualifier rather than seek a job in Europe. The hearing had been scheduled for Wednesday.
The Rangers have not gone through an arbitration hearing since 2009, when the club walked away from Nikolai Zherdev after the winger came away with a $3.9 million award.