In yesterday's New York Post, Larry Brooks reports that Henrik Lundqvist has leverage over the Rangers organization when it comes to his contract negotiations, which should start in January... "...What is Lundqvist, who can become an unrestricted free agent after next season, worth to the Rangers? He's worth pretty much any dollar amount he and agent Don Meehan request. Let's face it. The Rangers have no leverage in the negotiation. They had leverage last summer and were afraid to use it, instead signing the goaltender to a one-year, $4.25M deal when an arbitration hearing almost certainly would have yielded an award of between $2.8-3.3M, given the comparables.
Vancouver's Roberto Luongo, the league's highest-paid goaltender, is working for $6.75M per. Lundqvist can certainly start there if he wants. The Rangers gave two free-agent centers, Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, deals in excess of $7M per last year. The King can start there if he wants and no one could blame him...
... If Lundqvist somehow gets to July 1 unsigned, everyone should expect him to receive an offer sheet for at least $9M per, and it will be one the Rangers will have no choice to match. The King is going to get his money. It's just a question of whether it's going to come from the Rangers or from somewhere else..."
...I missed this article yesterday, but its safe to say that Lundqvist has, as George Costanza would say, 'hand' when it comes to his contract negotiations with the Rangers.
...the way contracts are being put together we might see a DiPietroesque 15 year deal.
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