The Rangers made two moves today, signing Dan Girardi to a
four-year, $13.3 million deal and trading Aaron Voros and Ryan Hillier to the
Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Steve Eminger.
Girardi had filed for arbitration but no one believed the
two sides wouldn’t be able to reach an agreement beforehand. Sure enough he re-upped today for an annual
cap hit of $3.325 million. That number
seems a little high considering Girardi had reportedly been seeking a four year
deal for $3 million annually. Nevertheless,
Girardi is obviously highly valued by the organization and was going nowhere
fast.
Eminger will likely fill the role of the team’s seventh
defenseman. He tallied four goals and 12
assists in 63 games last season with Anaheim. Eminger, 26, stands 6-1, 202 lbs and has
already played for five teams in his NHL career.
He will make $1.125 million this year, slightly more than
Voros who had no future with the Rangers and had been placed on waivers several
times.
The Rangers now have Michal Rozsival, Wade Redden, Dan
Girardi, Michael Del Zotto, Matt Gilroy, Ryan McDonagh, and Eminger under
contract with Staal soon to follow. That
could mean another move is forthcoming, or maybe the Rangers plan on keeping
McDonagh in Hartford
for the time being. Or perhaps the moves
spell the end of Wade Redden’s time on Broadway.
Other than signing Staal and cutting out one of the other
defensemen, the 2010 Rangers are pretty set.
