Rangers shopping list will be short

The Rangers made a shrewd move on Monday, dealing steady but declining defenseman Michal Rozsival for young, underachieving forward Wojtek Wolski. Glen Sather may not have the greatest track record in free agency, but his trades the last few seasons have righted many wrongs.

It could be the first move before the Feb. 28 trade deadline for the Rangers, or it could be the only move. What they're looking for - a veteran, top-four, lefthanded-shooting defenseman - may simply not be available this season.

There are only a few teams that are already down and out and looking to sell: The Islanders and Devils aren't likely to bolster the Rangers for the stretch run and the Oilers don't have any defensemen the Rangers are excited about.

With so many teams still in the hunt in both conferences, a big-minute defenseman isn't so easy to part with.

The Rangers gave themselves an extra $1.2-million of salary cap space with the Rozsival trade and took a chance on Wolski, who scored a goal on Thursday and could provide a struggling offense with some pop.

But even with a chance to add a player making $5-million a year, there's no guarantee the right sale will come. The Leafs' Tomas Kaberle, who has been dangled at the last two trade deadlines, could be the best fit with his consistency and power-play skills, but Brian Burke and Sather have rarely been trading partners.

Ex-Rangers helping fuel Canucks rise

During the dark, pre-lockout days of Ranger hockey, Manny Malhotra and Mikael Samuelsson had a few bright moments as teammates in the 2001-02 season, but they were mostly dragged down by the chaos.

Both of them have ended up with pretty nice careers, now back together with the NHL-leading Canucks. Samuelsson, 34, won a Stanley Cup with the Wings in 2008 and signed a three-year, $7.5-million deal with the Canucks in 2009. He's tailed off a bit this season after scoring 30 goals in 2009-2010, and there's been talk that he could either be waived or traded when defenseman Sami Salo returns from injured reserve because the Canucks would be over the cap.

Malhotra, the Rangers' No. 1 pick (seventh overall) in the 1998 draft, is more cemented in the Vancouver lineup. He's an alternate captain and second in the NHL with a 63.4 faceoff win percentage.

STATLINES

Sophomore slump?

John Tavares is doing well in his second season, but not as well as the other three players picked after him in the 2009 draft - their teams are all in playoff position:

John Tavares, Islanders: No. 1 pick 2009-10 - 82 GP, 24G, 30 A; Team: 79 points, 13th in East. 2010-11 - 39 GP, 15G, 15 A; Team: 33 points, 14th in East

Victor Hedman, Lightning: No. 2 pick 2009-10 - 74 GP, 4G, 16A; Team: 80 points, 12th in East. 2010-11 - 43 GP, 2G, 13A; Team: 57 points, 2nd in East

Matt Duchene, Avalanche: No. 3 pick 2009-10 - 81GP, 24G, 31A; Team: 95 points, 8th in West. 2010-11 - 44GP, 18G, 25A; Team: 50 points, 8th in West

Evander Kane, Thrashers: No. 4 pick 2009-10 - 66 GP, 14G, 12A; Team: 83 points, 10th in East. 2010-11 - 40 GP, 13G, 13A; Team: 51 points, 8th in East

Shootouts and 'show-offs'

Kevin Poulin made quite a splash in his Nassau Coliseum debut on Tuesday, stopping 48 shots against the Canucks. But Mason Raymond's shootout goal, on a 'spin-o-rama' move that former Isle Jason Blake used to employ regularly, was a bit too much for the 20-year-old Poulin.

"It's a show-off move," said Poulin, who snapped at Raymond after the goal, a rare move for a rookie.

Lightning goaltender Dan Ellis had similarly sharp words for Oilers rookie Linus Omark, who did a spin at center ice on Dec. 10 before scoring the shootout clincher.

To the goaltenders: Deal with it. The shootout is a gimmick; showing off for the crowd is fairly encouraged.