SCHNEIDER SIGNS ONE YEAR DEAL
On the same day that arbitration hearing dates were set, the Rangers and Braden Schneider came to an agreement, the player signing a one-year deal for a total of $5.5M. The short-term commitment suggests the Rangers remain wary of his future with the team, but perhaps unable to find a deal that would bring back a top six forward, were willing to hold onto him for the moment and avoid what could have been a messy hearing on July 29th.
The deal also does not preclude Rangers GM Chris Drury from making a deal later in the Summer should the opportunity arise, giving any acquiring team some flexibility on a longer term commitment. The contract represents a significant increase over his previous two-year bridge-deal which paid him $2.2M annually, though is probably not far off what he would have been awarded if he’d gone to a hearing.