The Rangers announced today that they re-signed center Mika Zibanejad to a five-year contract with a $5.35M AAV. The 23-year-old Swede and the Rangers reached this agreement at the 11th hour, as the arbitration hearing was scheduled for today.
Zibanejad increased his goal, assist, and point totals every year with the Ottawa Senators. Although his totals went down in his first year with the Rangers, his assists per game and points per game both increased (he was missed several months with a broken leg). He scored at a .25 goals per game average, which would put him at 20 goals in an 82 game season, one less than his total from his final season with the Senators.