The Rangers may not have made any big waves during the draft but Brandon Prust made sure the fans would have plenty to talk about.  Prust tweeted: “I wish management wanted me back as much as the fans. Thanks for the love everyone.” Prust is certainly a fan favorite. His hard work, guts, and unrelenting energy has made him one of the most beloved players on the team.

Prust reportedly turned down a 3 year deal worth 1.8 million per year. His asking price is slightly higher at 2.2 per year. This is a rare situation where it’s a bad situation but I can’t really blame one side or the other.

Hockey players at this level are at a high risk whenever they get on the ice and you never know how long any one career will last.

With the style Prust plays it puts him at an even higher risk than your average hockey player, so you can’t blame him for trying to make as much as he can while he still can.

On the other hand I also think the reported offer of 1.8 million per year is evidence enough that the Rangers do, in fact, want Prust back with their organization.  Their offer was not a low-ball and actually exceeded the amount many people predicted they would offer.

It’s worth mentioning that nothing is set in stone until he signs a contract with another team. He cannot do that until July 1st, so that still leaves a small amount of time for the Rangers and Prust to come to an agreement.  Even after July 1st Prust can still theoretically decide to come back to the Rangers, assuming they still have an offer for him at that point.  My gut feeling is that this may just be a negotiating ploy and they will have a deal worked out before Prust becomes an unrestricted free agent. Perhaps that’s just wishful thinking on my part, or perhaps (more than likely) I’m just talking out of my ass.

One important aspect that has been over looked is, if Prust does land elsewhere then who is Brian Boyle going to take his afternoon naps with?
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- Mike P