Rangers, Defenseman Dan Girardi Agree To 6-Year Extension

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- They've locked him up.

No, not Ryan Callahan, but Dan Girardi.

Girardi and the Rangers have agreed to a six-year contract extension. According to multiple reports, the deal will pay the defenseman $5.5 million per year.

"Dan has been a Ranger for his entire career, signing with us as an undrafted free agent and working his way to become a top defenseman in the NHL," Rangers general manager Glen Sather said in a statement. "His dedication to this club, as a leader both on the ice and in the locker room, is invaluable to this team.

"We are happy to have been able to ensure that he will continue to wear the Blueshirt."

The 29-year-old Canadian has four goals and 13 assists for New York, having played in all 60 games this season.

He was set to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.

Girardi is second among Rangers defensemen in goals, assists and points. He also leads New York in hits with 145, blocked shots with 121 and shorthanded assists with two.

"We'll see what happens," Girardi told WFAN's Sean Hartnett after the Rangers defeated the Blackhawks on Thursday night. "We'll be working here in the next few days, hopefully, and try to bang something out here. But in the meantime, I'll just be all business and go about my job."

The 6-foot-2, 203-pound veteran debuted with the Rangers in 2006 and was an All-Star in the 2011-2012 season.

There remains a strong possibility that Callahan will be traded ahead of the March 5 trade deadline.

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