Hot Stove: Rangers Trade Rumors

As the NHL trade deadline on Tuesday draws closer and closer rumors are flying as to whom the Rangers might be bringing aboard and shipping out.

The most recent rumor has been that the Rangers are targeting Dan Boyle of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Boyle is in the final year of his contract and it is likely that any deal he signs will be worth about $6 million per season, which means he would probably only be a rental for the Rangers. Boyle also has a no-trade clause in his contract, although according to the NY Post, he is willing to waive that in order to become a Ranger.

However Tampa Bay's preference seems to be that they would like to hold on to him, but salary cap restrictions mean they might not be able to afford him next season. If they can move Brad Richards, who makes $7.8 million over the next three years, expect Boyle to stay put.

Another deal which might end up happening would involve the Rangers and the St. Louis Blues. The Blues have three-time ex-Ranger Martin Rucinsky, who the Rangers are interested in bringing back. This deal would likely involve Marek Malik, who is supposedly coveted by Blues GM John Davidson according to the NY Post. However it is unclear how a winger with just 14 points in 30 games would help the Rangers unless he was just part of a package of players.

Which raises the issue that the Rangers are reluctant to move Malik without getting an additional defenseman somehow. That would mean another trade for a blue-liner or St. Louis including one in the deal. Someone like 26-year-old Barret Jackman, who will be an unrestricted free-agent at the end of the year, might of interest to the Rangers. Jackman is the type of hard hitting defenseman they sorely lack.

The Blueshirts have also made an offer to the Buffalo Sabres for offensive defenseman Brian Campbell according to the Toronto Sun. Campbell is another potential unrestricted free-agent on the lookout for a big contract this off-season. Because the Rangers are restricted on cap space and already need to resign Michal Rozsival, Campbell would likely only be a rental player, but one who could have a great effect on the Rangers' power play.

There have been rumors that the Rangers are also interested in Bobby Holik, according to the Bergin Record. This move is a little unlikely, but would make sense on some level. Holik is a very defensive minded player which would fit into Tom Renney's scheme pretty well and he may be able to jump start the offense of Jaromir Jagr if given the opportunity. The Rangers could be even more inclined to deal with Holik's team, the Atlanta Thrashers, if Marian Hossa were involved in a deal. Although it is unlikely the Rangers would meet the asking price to make a move on the good Hossa.

Other names being tossed around are Tomas Kaberle of the Toronto Maple Leafs. According to the NY Post he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to come to New York, but because of his affordable $4.25 million contact over three years Toronto will likely want to hang on to him.

The theme which all of these rumors have in common is that the Rangers must be cap-conscious when dealing. This means that even though they might be able to pull off a move they have to keep in mind that a lot of these players will probably only be rentals and not return next season. This will make them hesitant to make the best offers for these players. Also the two areas they are likely to address are either on defense - where they could use any strong blueliner whether he be offensive- or defensive-minded - or upfront where they would like to add someone who could help Jagr or take his place as the top scoring forward.

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Ranger’s Malik Odd Man Out

New York Ranger’s defenseman Marek Malik has returned from a November rib injury to realize he has lost his spot as a first pair defenseman.

Once Malik was cleared to play he was kept out of the lineup because the defense was “clicking”, but now he’s being kept out because he isn’t the best option.

Malik’s position on the team changed when he went down with a rib injury and Marc Staal was switched to the first pair with Michal Rozsival. Suddenly Staal was averaging over 20 minutes of ice time a night and began to thrive.

Malik returned and Staal’s ice time went back down, but recently Malik has been getting scratched and Staal has been getting more time. This week Malik was a healthy scratch against the Atlanta Thrashers and New Jersey Devils and Staal played over 20 minutes in each game with Rosival.

Malik is likely to see some time on the third pair with either Paul Mara or Jason Strudwick, but this is a bad match up. Malik is a big defenseman which works to his advantage, but is certainly the slowest blue-liner and opposing teams would be able to exploit that further if he were matched up with another big slow defender.

The website hockey buzz has the Ranger’s connected to a deal which would send Malik, Petr Prucha, and Wolfpack goalie Al Montoya to Colorado in exchange for John-Michael Liles and Marek Svatos. Although that rumor has not been mentioned by either team’s general managers.

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Healthy Rangers take on Islanders

The Rangers return to full health this Thursday night as they attempt to beat the Islanders for this first time in four attempts this season.

Last Friday night Martin Straka made his return to the ice after taking a slap shot to his wrist from Zdeno Chara over a month ago. Thursday Ryan Callahan should return to the lineup and Marek Malik will be eligible to play.

"It was a pretty hard practice today and I felt pretty good out there," Callahan told Newsday. "I think Thursday's pretty realistic."

If Callahan does return it appears he will skate with Petr Prucha and Chris Drury, but Malik’s return is not immediately certain. While he has recovered from bruised ribs and a bad back the Rangers defense has been playing so well lately there is no obvious choice of who to scratch.

"The way we're clicking right now, he might have to wait a game or two and see if anything evolves," Head Coach Tom Renney told Newsday.

When he does eventually get back into the lineup it is likely that Jason Strudwick will be the one to sit. Paul Mara is the other option, but Michal Rosival could get a few days off to rest his knee.

Since his return Straka has been skating on the top line with Jaromir Jagr and Brandon Dubinsky, however that line may get tinkered with. Jagr has only one point over his past six games and skated with Straka and Drury late in the game against the Dallas Stars Sunday night and may continue to do so in order to jump start his offense.

Part of the reason the Rangers have struggled against the Islanders this season is the anemic attempts by their power play. Against the Islanders they are a combined 1-for-14 with a man advantage, which is more disturbing considering all three games have been decided by one goal.

Lately the power play unit has been bad against everyone. Over the past eight games they are 3-for-39; meanwhile they have had the second most chances in the NHL with 122. This is something that Renney thinks is improving, “Believe it or not, it's better than it's been," he told the NY Daily News after the unit was shutout in six attempts Sunday night. "I thought we showed some good puck movement. I thought we had some chances."

Notice he didn’t say it’s been good he simply said better and it obviously can’t get worse after they failed to sustain any offensive zone presence even once in five chances last time the Rangers played the Islanders.

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Cullen Is Safe For Now

One week ago it looked like the Rangers were on the verge of trading center Matt Cullen in order to free up cap-space.

Last week it was reported that the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes were close to a deal which would send the third line center back to Carolina. A move which would have benefited both teams as the Rangers needed more salary cap flexibility and the Canes needed more depth up the middle.

Now a week later it looks like the Rangers have cooled their quest at cap-room. The difference is all-star defenseman Sheldon Souray has signed on with the Edmonton Oilers leaving no first-pair defensemen left on the free-agent market.

Since Souray has been taken off the market trade talks for Cullen between the Rangers and Hurricanes have broken down. "I would have thought that this would have been brought to a head this week, but it's a tricky process and it hasn't," Hurricane’s GM Jim Rutherford told the Raleigh News & Observer.

The Rangers may still attempt at adding a top-of-the-line defenseman in order to fill what they view as their last hole, but with the free-agent market now picked clean there is less of a rush.

Another option which may come up in the next couple of weeks is a possible deal with the Phoenix Coyotes for defenseman Ed Jovanovski. The Coyotes feel like they are in a position to deal with a lot of depth at the defense position. However Jovanovski does have a no-trade clause in his contract and would have to approve a deal to whichever team gets him.

Jovanovski will earn $7 million next year and $6 million over the next three seasons he is under contract so the Rangers will still have to unload salary to make a move. Besides Cullen two major contracts the Rangers have which are likely to be dealt are Paul Mara and Marek Malik, but if Phoenix is looking to unload a defenseman they will probably not be too interested in either.

The Rangers have about $3 million left under the cap of $50.3 million set by the NHL. That amount is expected to be filled by yet unsigned restricted free-agents Sean Avery and Marcel Hossa.

As always you can read my work at the Hot Stove New York