Staple: Unlike Devils, Rangers make the right move

Olli Jokinen was just making his Garden debut in a Rangers uniform as Ilya Kovalchuk was dealt across the river to the Devils, who materialized seemingly out of nowhere to trade for the Thrashers star.

Those deals may seem uneven as the offensively challenged Rangers picked up Jokinen, a 31-year-old with only 11 goals this season, while the Devils swooped in to grab the 26-year-old Kovalchuk, who is on pace for yet another 40-goal season. But the Rangers made the shrewd move, even as they took another step backward in the standings in a 6-5 loss to the Capitals.

It's the Devils and their usually cautious president, Lou Lamoriello, who have risked the franchise's long-term health with this deal. The Devils certainly didn't bankrupt their future by sending defenseman Johnny Oduya, rookie forward Niclas Bergfors, junior prospect Patrice Cormier and their first-round pick in June to the Thrashers for Kovalchuk. As are most star trades in the salary-cap era, the return wasn't even close to equal value, even for a rental of Kovalchuk.

But the Rangers were not going to give up one of their top young defensemen, a young forward, a top prospect and their No. 1 pick for Kovalchuk.

Glen Sather's move to dump Ales Kotalik's remaining salary ($7 million or so over the next two-plus years), plus hard-luck Christopher Higgins, off on the Flames for Jokinen and plugger Brandon Prust was a bit like the general manager's last three big deals: Moving parts that didn't fit or bloated contracts that he'd agreed to for either deadline rentals (Nik Antropov, Derek Morris) or, in the case of the Scott Gomez trade to Montreal in July, a reasonably valued prospect, University of Wisconsin defenseman Ryan McDonagh.

Imagine what the Rangers would look like with Kovalchuk but without Marc Staal, Ryan Callahan, prospect Derek Stepan and June's first-round pick, which could be a top-five selection in a fairly solid draft.

They'd have the flash, but the future wouldn't be nearly as bright, and that is now what matters most to Sather, coach John Tortorella and a smarter Rangers braintrust, not sneaking into the playoffs to get overwhelmed by a team like the Caps, who won their 12th straight last night.

Jokinen has a lot to prove after being traded for the third time in 20 months.

"I'm not going to deny this is going to be a huge 25 games for me," he told Newsday Thursday. "I'm kind of sick and tired, to keep moving."

Unlike some of Sather's past deals, when he acquired established stars who didn't produce but still got a regular turn, Jokinen comes here needing to produce if he wants to stick around. Like Kovalchuk, he's a free agent after the season, but Jokinen's price tag will be decidedly more affordable if the Rangers, who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday, choose to make an offer.

Kovalchuk's price starts in the eight figures, and there's no guarantees that he knows what it takes to win, having appeared in exactly four playoff games, two fewer than Jokinen, who has long had the tag of not being a money player when it counts.

The Devils made a huge splash last night, while the Rangers stayed cautious. It may hurt now, looking up from ninth place in the East. But making the deal for Kovalchuk would have meant a lot more pain for a lot longer.