Michal Rozsival

On January 10th, 2010, the New York Rangers sent defenseman Michal Rozsival to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for struggling forward Wojtek Wolski.

Rozsival was the longest tenured Rangers skater, and the only member of the team who had worn the jersey as long as his goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist.

Rozsival joins a growing list of large contracts that had been shipped out of New York recently, Scott Gomez and Ales Kotalik jumping to mind. 

Here is the latest news on Marian Gaborik, Michal Rozsival and Vinny Prospal.

Marian Gaborik

After this morning's New York Rangers practice, Marian Gaborik told reporters that he will return to the Rangers lineup Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres. Gaborik, who missed 12 games with a separated shoulder, is expected to play on a line with Alexander Frolov and Erik Christensen; but nothing is final just yet.

Michal Rozsival

We’re one month in and the New York Rangers have been as up and down as a roller coaster this season. Amidst injuries and emergencies, the Rangers tallied a 5-4-1 record and played typical New York hockey over the past few weeks. Let’s recap:

Rangers Weekly Report: No. 1

Welcome to the first edition of Ranger Weekly Report! Each week a new one will be posted, usually Sundays, giving a review of the past week, and a preview of the week in progress. 

Here is the information you need to know regarding the article set-up:

With the NHL draft, and the Free Agent period fast approaching, many teams are looking to shake things up. One such team is the New York Rangers. Although GM Glen Sather has previously stated that he doesn't forsee his team being major players in the free agent market, the man is no stranger to trades.

With a large portion of salary cap space tied up with defensemen Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden, the Rangers must look to move one of the large contracts with Dan Girardi and Marc Staal due for new, more expensive contracts.

The New York Rangers are at an intriguing and complex crossroad that not many teams ever face during the middle of a season. Half the team is here to win now, and the other half has rebuilding mode written all over it. It looks good on paper; rebuild one part of the team and put skill and experience on the other, but unfortunately, it isn't working for the Blueshirts, who slipped to 14-15-2 with a loss to the Buffalo Sabres tonight on Garden ice.

I will fully admit to my skepticism, as it pertains to anything having to do with the Rangers.  But, this writer is beginning to want to believe.

Often as I have watched this Rangers team, I have turned to my mate (a Devils fan, by the way) and said that I want so much to believe in this team.  They play differently. They skate hard. They stick up for each other. Every time that they've lit the lamp, buried the biscuit, left a goalie's undergarments hanging from the Garden rafters, and beaten an opposing blueliner like a rented mule, they celebrate as a team. 

For the last two seasons, the New York Rangers lacked one thing more than anything; a top notch, scoring winger. But now with the recent acquisition of Marian Gaborik and departure of Scott Gomez, the scenario has reversed itself as it is now a center the Rangers need.

The captain Chris Drury is better suited as a second line center, something he has been most of his career and it is a sure thing he will be playing alongside, fellow Metropolitan area winger, Chris Higgins this coming season.

Last week, I wrote, and the day after draft day, the Rangers were pushed up against the cap with no moves imminent and the outlook looking grim.

The whole process started with shipping Gomez and his contract to Montreal for Chris Higgins, a "regular 20-goal scorer" who would have been one of the tops on the team if he just plays the way he continues to play.

It's the day after the first day of the draft and an almost perfect storm of passing on Zdeno Chara as a free agent, a horrible blunder of signings last season, and Alexei Cherepanov dying have put the Rangers in a situation to be what i believe will be last place in the Atlantic Division.

The Rangers made it to the playoffs by the skin of their teeth this season, and i think their competition has only gotten better, but let's look at the rest of the division...