Alas, font-size:100%;">The Rangers won't be acquiring Dan Boyle, who signed a long-term deal with Tampa Bay yesterday. Nor will they be trading for Barret Jackman, who signed a contract extension (details undisclosed) with the St. Louis Blues. So far the trades that could affect NY the most both occured in Philly, as the Flyers acquired C Vaclav Prospal from Tampa Bay for prospect defenseman Alexander Picard and an '09 2nd or 3rd round draft pick and let's not forget the "huge" deal in getting D Jaroslav Modry from the Kings last week. Philly is desperately trying to hang on to the '08 season as injuries (and really bad hockey over the past 10 games) have taken a serious toll on their playoff chances. I don't think either of these trades is going to help Philly in the long run, nor affect the Rangers playoff chances. In the Modry deal, the Flyers are simply grabbing any warm body they can to shore up their blueline woes. Having said that, we'll see the 6 points on the season Modry get 3 points vs. the Rangers when they meet Sunday afternoon.

Mats Sundin, who actually says he doesn't believe in "player rentals" is staying put and loyal to the Maple Leafs. Even if the pessimistic side of me thinks the comfort level and popularity Sundin enjoys in Toronto has everything to do with his decision, I agree with his statement.

"I have never believed in the concept of a rental player. It is my belief that winning the Stanley Cup is the greatest thing you can achieve in hockey but for me, in order to appreciate it you have to have been part of the entire journey and that means October through June. I hope everyone will understand and respect my decision."

Not too many players would say that in this day and age, in any sport. Good for you, Mr. Sundin. The Wicked Wrister agrees to a point, but has a different take on the outcome.

So who's left for the Rangers to deal for? The Toronto Sun ran a short blurb a few days claiming the Rangers, among other teams, had made an offer to Buffalo defenseman Brian Campbell. They also may be interested in Toronto D Tomas Kaberle, but the Maple Leafs will most likely hang on to Kaberle and his "bargain" $4.25 million a year contract. I also read that NY might be interested in a return performance from Thrashers forward Bobby Holik, which hopefully, is as unlikely as the aforementioned possibilities.

Maneuverability under the NHL salary cap and available defensemen (a power-play quarterback, preferable but unlikely) are going to determine who the Rangers are able to pick up for their playoff push. NY has a ton of contracts set to expire at the end of this season, which will be a major consideration as they look around the league for a worthwhile and ultimately useful deal. Unless something falls into place in the next 5 hours, I'd be surprised to see anything more than a couple of middle-of-the-road players being moved. Oddly enough, I heard that the GM of the St. Louis Blues, John Davidson, "covets" Marek Malik. I'm at a loss for words, almost...

"Unlikely to return the NHL" and 2003 MVP Peter Forsberg has decided to sign with Colorado, thankfully. I wasn't looking forward to seeing him in a Flyer uniform again. Even if Forsberg isn't at 100%, he should have an immediate impact on the playoff race in the Western Conference.

In other news, Paul Mara will miss at least two weeks after undergoing facial surgery Monday. Thankfully, no concussion. The 6'4" Rangers bluelineer was leveled by the 5'11" Sabre winger, Patrick Kaleta. At the time of the hit I was under the impression that Kaleta had left his feet during the hit and caught Mara in the face with his stick, speculating on that possibility in my post-game comments. Seems as though that's exactly what happened, yet the refs looking right at the play saw something else. Good job refs. Didn't miss Staal's hit on Kaleta seconds later though...

Writing for Hot Stove New York, Rob Abruzzese says that Glen Sather is not only not looking to trade Jaromir Jagr before the deadline, he wants to bring him back next season. Slats not looking to trade Jagr isn't really much of a surprise; the only team, in the past anyway, who would pick up an aging superstar on the downside of his career with an $11 million dollar a year contract is, well, the Rangers.

Update (12:06 PM EST): In the trade for center Vaclav Prospal Philly acquired Alexander Picard and a 2009 conditional draft pick.