With Brandon Dubinsky’s arbitration hearing set for Thursday, a deal does not appear close, and a source has told the Daily News that the sticking point in negotiations is not money, but years for a new contract.
“(Dubinsky is) looking for a longer term,” the source said.
Part of the Rangers’ organization since they drafted him in the second round in 2004, Dubinsky has become one of the most important players on Broadway, beyond simply having led the Blueshirts with 24 goals and 30 assists this past season, both career highs. Dubinsky is a key penalty killer, a skilled faceoff man and an emerging presence in the locker room with his fiery personality and willingness to speak his mind.
That frankness also applies to his contract negotiations, as Dubinsky said after the season ended, “I’d like to get it done as quickly as possible. I think the Rangers want me, and I want the Rangers. So at the end of the day, we may as well not waste each other’s time.”
They only have a little bit of time left before going to an arbitration hearing, where Dubinsky likely would emerge with a two-year contract.
Meanwhile, the Rangers have not had any new talks about a deal for their other remaining restricted free agent, Ryan Callahan, whose arbitration hearing is scheduled for next Thursday. Agent Steve Bartlett told The News that while he remains hopeful that a deal can be struck, he understands that trying to avoid arbitration with Dubinsky is a higher priority because of the timing of it all. “There’s a pecking order,” he said. That notion also would seem to apply to unrestricted free agent Steve Eminger, who wants to return to Broadway – a new deal may have to wait until things are wrapped up with Callahan and Dubinsky, due to salary cap concerns.
Negotiations with Dubinsky obviously have not gone as smoothly as the 25-year-old hoped when he made his comments after the season. Still, the fact that they continue to talk is a positive sign that both sides still would like to avoid the inherent nastiness of arbitration, where management is forced to downplay a player’s importance in the fight to keep the wage bill down.
No matter who wins at the arbitration table, it changes the relationship between the team and the player, setting the stage for more bitterness down the road. The Rangers don’t need that, Dubinsky doesn’t need that and Callahan doesn’t need that. They all need each other, and it is because they recognize that fact that they continue to try to find a solution.
Get news from the Rangers beat as it happens by following @NYDNRangers on Twitter!
