The Rangers and Chris Kreider avoided salary arbitration as Rangers GM Jeff Gorton signed his 25-year-old winger to a four-year deal with an annual cap hit of $4.625 million, before it got to a scheduled hearing Friday.
Per Aaron Ward, the contract includes an 11-team no-trade clause the last two seasons.
Kreider had been a restricted free agent, having just completed a two-year, $4.95 million contract which he was awarded through arbitration two summers ago.
Kreider’s side requested a $4.75 million arbitration award, while the Rangers understandably low-balled at $3.2 million, knowing that an arbiter normally splits the difference, all the while hoping to lock him up for a longer team.