The New York Rangers and restricted free-agent defenseman Marc Staal on Wednesday agreed on a five-year contract. According to multiple media reports, the new deal will pay Staal $3.975 million per season.
Staal, 23, finished second among all Rangers defensemen with 8 goals and 27 points, and he's raised his goals, assists and points totals in each of the last two seasons after starting with 2 goals and 10 points as a rookie in 2007-08. He led all Rangers players with an average ice time of 23:07 per game in 2009-10, and his plus-11 rating was third on the team and first among defensemen. He also tied for second on the team with 178 hits
The 12th pick of the 2005 Entry Draft, Staal has 13 goals, 52 points and a plus-6 rating in 244 games, as well as 2 goals and 4 points in 17 playoff games. He's missed just two regular-season games in his NHL career, both in his rookie season, and has played in 202 consecutive games.