Dubinsky's Worth...

Still quiet on the Brandon Dubinsky contract front and you can't help but wonder... what is the hold up? Though the Rangers only have a few million left under the cap, they should be able to get a deal done unless Dubinsky is asking for more than he deserves. After an impressive rookie season of 40 points he followed up with 41 last season. Ryan Callahan, recently rewarded with $2.3 million, only had 40 . Perhaps Dubinsky feels he should get the same type of deal... I'm going to tell you why he shouldn't.

Don't get me wrong, I love Dubinsky. He's a gritty player who plays with his heart on every shift. He's exactly the type of player the Rangers, their fans, and John Tortorella want as part of the core of this team. But how big is his upside? Are we expecting that he'll be a 100 point Center? I don't see it. Here's some comparable players to Brandon Dubinsky and what they're making:

RW Colby Armstrong, Atlanta-
22 G, 18 A, 40 PTS---- $1.2 a year (just signed)
C Steve Ott, Dallas-
19 G, 27 A, 46 PTS---- $1.4 a year
C Curtis Glencross, Calgary-
13 G, 27 A, 41 PTS---- $1.2 a year
C Eric Belanger, Minnesota-
13 G, 23 A, 36 PTS---- $1.75 a year

These players are of all of the same age group and potential of Dubinsky. The Rangers shouldn't offer more than a couple of years at no more than $1.3. He should take it as an opportunity to prove he's worth more. Otherwise he can play this year for $698,500. At this point it's also possible the Blueshirts are waiting til the season starts to work on a long term deal that won't effect this year's cap... which is probably the best play.