"Maybe I'm little bit more valuable than I think I am," Prust told the Post with a smile.
"Obviously as a hockey player, you look at free agency as a big time in your life. It's a big decision. Definitely looking forward to it. Right now, I'm not really worried about it, but I'm sure I will in the next few weeks."
While Rangers head coach John Tortorella expressed appreciation for the work of Prust this season, he was also realistic about the forward's inconsistency.
"I think he's had an up-and-down year," Tortorella told the paper. "For a while there, he wasn't getting a lot of minutes and when he got some minutes, it was an inconsistent year. But as far as the intangible and what he does for our locker room, he's a big piece to the puzzle."
Although Prust has expressed the desire to remain in New York, the forward is expecting a raise, which he could easily find on the open market if the Blueshirts aren't willing to spend as much money.
"Money is a factor, but it's not the biggest factor for me," Prust admitted. "Obviously a good situation is what I'm looking for the most and just being a part -- a big part -- of a winning team. That's something we have here, and I want to be a big part of the team."
In 82 games with the Rangers this past season, Prust tallied five goals and 12 assists for 17 points, and 156 penalty minutes, while becoming one of the team's most important penalty killers.
He is expected to undergo surgery to repair a torn tendon in the ring finger of his left hand this summer.
