The New York Rangers have rejected winger Nikolai Zhedev's $3.9 million arbitration hearing award, making him an unrestricted free agent and ending his short stay in Manhattan.
On his decision, Rangers General Manager Glen Sather said:
"With the additions we've been able to make this summer, we feel we've been able to add scoring and offense from the wing position. Following the arbitration process and subsequent award given, we feel it is in our best interest to walk away and continue to explore all available options to improve our roster."
It was smart for the Blueshirts to not accept the award, and as I previously noted, $3.9 million is a lot of money for an inconsistent, unpredictable player who has shown no signs of fitting in John Tortorella's system.
With the Zherdev situation settled, the Rangers will now focus on signing a deal with restricted free agent Brandon Dubinsky. There is no doubt that Duby, who the organization views as a first line center next season, will be re-signed. The only question is if they want to ink him to a short team contract or a long one. While Dubinsky is the team's only remaining restricted free agent, unrestricted free agent netminder Steve Valiquette will most likely be returning to New York after another solid season backing up King Henrik.
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