COLUMBUS, Ohio — All that is necessary now is for Marc Staal’s six-year, $34.2 million contract extension to be signed, sealed and delivered, as The Post has been told by multiple sources that the parties reached an agreement in principle early Friday afternoon.

The deal, which will carry an annual $5.7 million cap hit, was reached in the aftermath of a meeting in Boston on Wednesday between Rangers assistant general manager Jeff Gorton and agent Paul Krepelka that was reported exclusively by The Post on Friday. It is believed to include a full no-move clause for the first three seasons followed by a modified no-trade.

“This is where I want to be. It’s been the goal the whole time,” Staal said following the Blueshirts’ 2-1 victory over the Blue Jackets in which the defenseman scored the first goal. “It’s very close.”

That fits the mold of the six-year extension signed last year by Dan Girardi that’s worth $5.5 million per season. This one though, was done without the drama attendant to negotiations that run up against the trade deadline that marked last season’s talks with Girardi and Ryan Callahan, the latter of whom was dealt after contentious bargaining.

This time, general manager Glen Sather was able to seal the deal in a timely fashion.

“It was handled professionally on both sides,” said No. 18. “I wanted to get it done early, but with the cap it’s not easy to make decisions about salaries and what to do moving forward.”

The $5.7 million per represents a fair market deal for both the Blueshirts and Staal, who likely would have been able to command more of a payday on the free agent market.

But the 28-year-old defenseman, now in his eighth season wearing the Blueshirt after having been the club’s 2005 first-round draft selection, was never tempted to test the market or leave New York, not even to join his brothers Eric and Jordan in Carolina.

Coach Alain Vigneault is grateful for that.

“In my opinion, Marc Staal is one of the best defenders in the league,” Vigneault said before Friday’s match. “You can play him against any top player and know he’s going to defend well, and he also makes the good first pass.

“I definitely appreciate having him on my team.”

Derek Stepan’s return bumped J.T. Miller from the lineup. Miller, scratched for the first time in nine games, opened Thursday’s game in Boston game as the second-line center between Chris Kreider and Marty St. Louis but finished it on the fourth line, switching places with Kevin Hayes, after being briefly benched.

“I thought for the most part Kevin did all right,” Vigneault said before Friday’s contest. “He had a couple of looks, dished the puck off…

“J.T. on the other hand, it might have been a little more difficult,” said the coach. “There were a few decisions with and without the puck…”

Miller had a run of impressive games following his Nov. 29 recall from AHL Hartford, but was on the wing during that stretch.

When Vigneault was asked whether he believes Miller is better and more comfortable on the wing, the coach neither hesitated nor hedged.

“Without a doubt on the wing,” Vigneault said.

Boston’s Brad Marchand received a two-game suspension for his slew-foot of Derick Brassard at 14:30 of the second period on Thursday.