The conflicting reports about the contract situation between Brandon
Dubinsky and the New York Rangers continued this morning when Larry Brooks of
the New
York Post reported that the issue was money and not the number of years on
the deal.
Dubinsky, the 25-year-old winger, led the team in goals, assists and points last year (24-30-54) and ranks second in each category (44-54-98) behind Marian Gaborik (64-70-134) over the past two years. He is believed to be seeking in the neighborhood of $5 million to $5.25 million per year on a long-term deal while the Rangers are believed to be offering approximately $500,000 less per season.
This goes against yesterday’s reporting that the holdup
on the deal was about years and not the money side of things. If Brooks is right and Dubinsky is asking for
$5 million per season, then arbitration should be a lock to happen because he
is not worth that kind of money.
Dubinsky is a very valuable member of the Rangers for all he does on and
off the ice, and he has improved statistically in every season, but to say he
is worthy getting paid like a 65 point player when he has never produced at
that level is real stretch.
The fact that Dubinsky has grown through the Rangers system cannot cloud the
discussion on whether he is worth that kind of money. The interesting part of Brooks report is
about the fact that gap appears to be so small when Dubinsky is clearly
overreaching on demands. If the Rangers
are actually willing to offer $4.5 million on a long-term deal there is
actually more hope that a deal could be bridged that pays him somewhere around
$4.75 million a year for the next five seasons.
Personally I think that scenario would see the Rangers overpay Dubinsky
by upwards of $500,000 per season and would also cause Ryan Callahan to ask for
more than he is worth in return. Instead Dubinsky should realize that he is not superior to players like David Backes ($4.5 mil) or Andrew Ladd ($4.4 mil) and take $4.5 over five-years if it is on the table.
If the numbers exceed $4.5 million on a long-term deal, then maybe
arbitration is the best solution for the Rangers as it should keep the
short-term number lower and allow Dubinsky to prove he is worth the bigger
dollars he is seeking.
