Time to....say goodbye!!
Callahan, unwilling to go lower on money, has been traded for Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Glen Sather, GM of the Rangers, unwilling to go higher on money/ years, has packaged Cally with some conditional picks in return for top notch goal scorer St. Louis.
What do the Rangers lose? Their captain, their heart and soul, some toughness, lots of grit, and an unnerving distraction. Callahan asked for quite the sum over the summer. Sather, trying to keep financial flexibility long term, denied the years (8) and price (7.5). As late as today, the two sides had gotten down to 6 years but were uneasy with the 6.5 mil asking price. But with Callahan gone and Gerardi extended, the Rangers can focus solely on winning for the next few months. And St. Louis is sure to help.
The Rangers received a points machine with 61 points in 62 games. While he won't hit and probably won't block like Callahan does, what he will do is setup Nash, reheat the chemistry with Richards, and, as all Rangers fans hope, help lead this team deep into the playoffs. Does he re-sign with the Rangers? I think so. He expressed his desire to be traded here, so in all likelihood, he probably signs for 3 years/ 6 mil. This is ideally what Sather would want as it is the same price for Callahan but half the contract length.
The one caveat here is the picks. But picks are never guaranteed to work out. Granted, the Rangers have had decent results in developing prospects. However, if this trade works out and the Rangers make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, they are not looking at a Top-10 pick. Would you have pulled the trigger and traded someone that may have walked for a chance to win now? I agree with Sather; I would.
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