New York Rangers’ top five bargain contracts on the roster

Mika Zibanejad-

The modern day NHL dictates that a team must have capable, two-way center men in order to hoist the Stanley Cup in June. This is the biggest reason why first and second line centers are hard to come by at bargain-like prices.

When the Rangers traded Derick Brassard to the Ottawa Senators last offseason for Mika Zibanejad, the Rangers organization knew that they were bringing in the center of the future. Now with Derek Stepan in Arizona playing for the Coyotes, the future has arrived much earlier than expected.

Just recently, the Jeff Gorton managed to avoid arbitration with Zibanejad by signing him to a 5 year, $5.35 million deal. This deal is a steal considering the price coveted centers are going for. According to Sportrac, Zibanejad ranks 38 in overall salary made by centers in the NHL. Just two spots ahead of him at 36, is New York Islanders captain John Tavares who makes just $150,000 more.

All things considered, this deal really is a bargain for the Rangers, Zibanejad is a young player with a very high ceiling that could possibly be the piece the Rangers need up front to bring home a championship.