Brooks: Dubinsky Talks Still On Ice
In today’s New York Post, Larry Brooks writes that contract talks with Brandon Dubinsky aren’t that close and he runs the risk of missing the first day of John Tortorella’s training camp.
The contract situation is the same as it has been for weeks. The Rangers have their one-year qualifying offer of $522,500 on the table to Dubinsky that represents nearly an 18-percent cut in pay from last year, when he earned $635,000, including Entry Level bonuses.
The Blueshirts also have offered various multi-year deals, but they all fall substantially short of what Dubinsky would be able to command next summer coming off a productive season. A 55-60 point year — hardly a stretch to expect as Gaborik’s linemate — would almost certainly bump Dubinsky to $3M per in arbitration.
….Same as it ever was with Dubi. Its in the Rangers best interest to lock him for a few years for probably around $2 million, where if Dubi has a breaks out season he could probably get between $3 and $4 million.
Brooks also notes that an offer-sheet for the Rangers center is unlikely.
The Maple Leafs have both a need and affection for Dubinsky, but the chances of Toronto GM Brian Burke blindsiding his good friend Sather are more remote than Dubinsky’s home state of Alaska.
… An offer-sheet for Dubi probably would have come a while back if it was going to come at all. But again, an offer-sheet would be the easiest way to end this whole mess, if he signs an offer-sheet, and the Rangers match, he is back and all the contract problems can be put behind them.
For the rest of Brooks article, click here.
