Frolov's agent says Rangers deal close, market value down

Throughout the day, there has been news that free-agent left wing Alexander Frolov(notes) was close to a deal with the New York Rangers.

That's what his agent, Sergei Isakov, told Pavel Lysenkov of Sovietsky Sport this week.

"Alexander Frolov will soon put his signature on a contract with the New York Rangers. He made a decision that he will play one more year in the NHL," he said. "And then it will be clearer where he will continue his career."

Here is the rest of their interview from SovSport:

Q. Did Los Angeles want to keep Frolov? He played seven seasons with the Los Angeles Kings.

ISAKOV: The Kings started slow negotiations with Frolov again. I think that Los Angeles is actually concentrating on signing Kovalchuk. There is a big chance that Ilya will become a free agent again. And it was so happening that Frolov's future in Los Angeles depended on someone else. And it wasn't nice.

And the Kings marred Alexander's last season by criticizing him, shifting him from the first line to the third, by benching him. You can't show a good game like this.

Don't you know how people are treated in the NHL? If a player has a year left on his contract it is necessary to spoil his season in order not to sign him for big money. That's what happened with Frolov.

It was somewhat tough. You, as an agent, realize that Frolov's price on the market dropped.

Of course. That's why the contract with the Rangers is signed only for one season. And actually this situation is similar to the one Maxim Afinogenov(notes) had last year when he signed his contract with Atlanta.

A forward worth a few million dollars for $800,000.

It's clear. But you need to give up something to gain something in the future. I think that Afinogenov had an excellent season. And now his price on the market rose.

Frolov probably didn't have a great desire to play for Los Angeles when being treated that way.

There were no talks like that, that's why I cannot say something definite to that effect. Moreover, right now Frolov is almost in New York. He left from one major US city to another, now in the East. It's a huge city with a lot of temptations.

Did Alexander seriously consider returning to Russia?

I held negotiations with a few clubs. But the player's decision must be respected. God willing to have Frolov's career in the NHL set.