Rangers GM: Shattenkirk 'left money on the table' to join team
For some NHLers, offering a club a hometown discount is a necessary sacrifice in order to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing in your own backyard. Such was the case for prized free-agent defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk when the New York Rangers came calling.
The New Rochelle, N.Y., native accepted a four-year, $26.6-million deal Saturday, capitalizing (sorry, Washington) on an opportunity that Shattenkirk feels may have only presented itself once.
"It's an opportunity that may only come once in my career, and I felt like this was my chance," Shattenkirk said, according to Dan Rosen of NHL.com. "It's a team I'm extremely excited about. A lot of the factors outside of money and term came into play, and that's ultimately what won the decision for me."
The 28-year-old immediately provides the Rangers with an injection of offensive talent on the blue line, as Shattenkirk has registered 40 or more points in five straight seasons.
OFFICIAL: #NYR have agreed to terms with FA d-man Kevin Shattenkirk.
- New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 1, 2017
RangersTown lets welcome home a true New Yorker at heart @shattdeuces! pic.twitter.com/xQ4DGSupNx
As the top free agent of the class, Shattenkirk was expected to command anywhere from five to seven years and at least $6 million to $7 million per season.
According to Shattenkirk, taking less money and term was worth it: " ... Obviously, there were some sacrifices to be made, but in my mind those sacrifices are what you leave on the table to live out a dream like this."
The hometown discount that Shattenkirk offered the Blueshirts played a key role in getting the deal done, a fact that New York general manager Jeff Gorton attributes solely to his newest defenseman.
"You have to give credit to Kevin on this one," Gorton said. "Here's a player who really wanted to be here and left money on the table. It sent a pretty strong message to us."
Shattenkirk is set to become an unrestricted free agent once again in the summer of 2021.
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