Derek Stepan and the New York Rangers reportedly aren't moving forward much in their contract negotiations. According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, Stepan is looking for deal similar to the one that teammate Ryan McDonagh received. McDonagh inked a six-year/28.2 million contract in July. The Rangers want Stepan to commit to a shorter "bridge-type" contract. This is a standstill we've seen before in other restricted free agent cases across the league, including Toronto' Nazem Kadri, St. Louis' Alex Pietrangelo and Buffalo's Cody Hodgson.

Derek Stepan remains optimistic that he'll be signed in time for training camp. "I don't think either side expects [it] not to be [done by Sept. 11]," he said. "As of this point right now, both sides are working extremely hard to get a deal done. I don't think anybody wants it to stretch out any longer than it should, but it's a process." Stepan is currently attending the U.S. Olympic team's orientation camp in Arlington, Va.

New York Rangers assistant GM Jeff Gorton expects to talk to Derek Stepan's representative within "the next few days." The Rangers normally prefer to give players two-year bridge contracts after their entry-level deals, but Stepan presents a unique case. The 23-year old led the Rangers in scoring last season with 44 points in 48 games and became New York's clear No. 1 center in just his third NHL season. Gorton said he expects to get a deal done by training camp, but also said the Rangers have no intention of going over the salary cap temporarily to get Stepan under contract. Stay tuned.

Derek Stepan might be looking for a deal worth more than $3 million per season. Stepan led the Rangers in scoring last year with 44 points in 48 games. He also finished first on the team with a plus-25 rating. Both sides want to get a deal done, but it looks like nothing is close to getting finalized any time soon.

The negotiations between the New York Rangers and Derek Stepan are going slowly. Stepan is a restricted free agent that won't go through arbitration, so his contract talks could drag on for a while. Stepan is coming off of his entry-level contract and is in line for a big raise after recording 56 goals and 140 points in 212 games with the Rangers. He took a step forward last season with 18 goals and 26 assists in 48 contests.

The Rangers will likely re-sign Derek Stepan in the near future. The 23-year-old is a restricted free agent this offseason, thus vulnerable to an offer sheet. The Rangers will likely pony up a bit more than they normally would for young players coming off entry-level deals because of how valuable Stepan, who has emerged as the team's number-one centers, has become.

Derek Stepan, Carl Hagelin and Ryan McDonagh have been given their qualifying offers from the Rangers. McDonagh was qualified at $826,875, Stepan at $826,875 and Hagelin got $660,000. When their new contracts are worked out the values will obviously be much higher. McDonagh and Stepan will likely be looking for deals worth upwards of $4 million annually, at the least, according to the Bergen Record's Andrew Gross.

The Rangers have had "some basically, preliminary talks" with their three key restricted free agents, Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh and Carl Hagelin, according to ESPN's Katie Strang. These discussions will continue this weekend, Strang says. The Rangers' offseason, now that they've found a new coach, centers on getting these core players locked up. McDonagh ($1.3 million) and Stepan ($875,000) should be due some decent raises, while Hagelin should get a tick more than the $875,000 he made last year, too.

Derek Stepan is hoping to spend his entire career with the New York Rangers. Stepan is scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer and based on that statement, it looks like he'll be seeking a long-term deal. The Rangers will probably have interest in that too after he scored 18 goals and 44 points in 48 games this season.

Rangers center Derek Stepan is one of many Rangers who will be due a raise entering next season. The youngster's entry-level contract has expired and he's certain to get a raise on his current $875,000 salary, as are teammates Ryan McDonagh and Carl Hagelin. Despite the valuable experience earned by the young players in their most recent playoff defeat, Stepan is unhappy with the loss. "You can't really say that every year," Stepan said. "You can't say, 'Oh we learned a little bit this year and whatever.' You've got to make your push."