Rangers to Qualify Prust, not Christensen

Steve Zipay is reporting on Twitter that the New York Rangers have elected to extend a qualifying offer to restricted free agent forward Brandon Prust, who was acquired by the Blueshirts before the trade deadline in a deal with the Calgary Flames. Prust, age 26, made $500,000 last season, so the qualifying offer is most likely just above that. A qualifying offer also guarantees that if Prust was to sign an offer sheet with another team in the NHL, the Rangers would receive compensation for him. I don't see it getting to that point, though.

The Ontario native registered 14 points in 59 games played in 2009-10, but became a tremendous role player while skating on the fourth line for New York. Not only did he drop the mitts on several occasions, but his offensive game also picked up and translated for some key goals later in the season. Because of Prust, along with Jody Shelley and Artem Anisimov, John Tortorella, for the first time in his career, became a four-line coach. In fact, he was plying them more than his second and third forward units because of their continuous work ethic and production.

Erik Christensen, however, will not receive a qualifying offer but not because the Blueshirts do not want to sign him. By not giving the waiver wire claim a QO, they give themselves an opportunity to sign him for more years but for less money. Christensen had 26 points in 49 games with the Rangers, so he is definitely someone general manager Glen Sather would like to bring back for 2010-11.