from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

Salary arbitration filings create deadline-driven negotiations, and so there is still time for the Rangers and Derek Stepan to strike a deal prior to Monday’s scheduled hearing, as Chris Kreider, Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky all did on the mornings of their respective scheduled hearings and as Derick Brassard did on the eve of his last summer.

But at this point, with a wide gulf separating the parties, it’s more a question of whether the Blueshirts will decide to go for a one- or two-year arbitration award than whether the club and the 25-year-old center will be able to hammer out a long-term agreement within the next 72 hours.

The Rangers, who have the option, must declare by Saturday, when the club and player submissions are due. The decision will rest on management’s evaluation whether Stepan’s trade value would be higher on a hypothetical one- or two-year contract. Stepan is not eligible to become an unrestricted free agent until 2017.

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