After practice, Callahan declines to discuss contract status

Here's what we know about captain Ryan Callahan. He's keeping the negotiations about a new contract separate from his day job as best he can.

The pending unrestricted free agent, who has been the subject of trade rumors, sparked by the due diligence of Rangers management, tossed a football around on ice with his mates before practice in Westchester, then declined to discuss the talks, saying it wouldn't be productive.

On Friday, Callahan, 28, reiterated that his heart was with the Rangers, with whom he has played for eight years, and captained for three.

The Rangers would like to retain the blood-and-guts winger with what is believed to be a five-year, $30 million offer,  but Callahan's rep, Steve Bartlett, who also represents Thomas Vanek and Eric Cole, is seeking a longer term and perhaps a little more dough per year. Rangers president and GM Glen Sather has granted Bartlett permission to speak with certain teams, but that doesn't necessarily mean any  trade is close.

The Rangers don't play again until Tuesday, and coach Alain Vigneault, a self-described optimist, said he expected Callahan to play against the Avalanche at the Garden.

Whether New York's reported deadline of 3 p.m. Friday---the start of the Olympic roster freeze---for Callahan to decide whether to re-sign in New York is immovable is unclear. I believe there is wiggle room.

But I wrote several weeks ago in a Sunday column for Newsday that March 5, the trade deadline, is the wall. If  Sather cannot get a deal he can live with, he won't let Callahan hit the market without a return.

After all, there are five other regular players who are pending UFAs---Girardi, Boyle, Stralman, Pouliot, Dom Moore and some key RFAs---Brassard, Kreider, Zuke, John Moore---to make financial decisions on...

More later...