Tortorella impressed with defenseman Valentenko

GREENBURGH, N.Y. - Pavel Valentenko wanted to ask Rangers coach John Tortorella about positioning during practice but had Ruslan Fedotenko step in.

"He understands English, but he's lost his voice," Fedotenko explained. Smiling, Tortorella pointed to the spots where the 22-year-old Russian defenseman should be in the defensive zone, depending on the attack.

Later, Tortorella explained the voice issue. "Something about the cold water here."

The coach, however, didn't throw any more cold water on the chances of Valentenko, acquired from Montreal in the Scott Gomez trade, making the opening night roster. He named the 6-2, 220-pounder, one of the team's more physical blueliners, as one of the surprises of camp.

"The guy is just intriguing to me, and I'm getting to know him," Tortorella said, noting that Valentenko, who played seven games last season with Moscow Dynamo of the KHL, struggled in the early camp endurance tests. "He stood in there, and we let a couple of tryouts [Garnet Exelby and Alexei Semenov] go before him, so we'll see where it all goes."

Drafted in the fifth round in 2006 by the Canadiens, Valentenko played 57 games for the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs, scoring 16 points. Now, along with Ryan McDonagh, Steve Eminger and Michael Sauer, he is battling for an NHL job. Assuming the Rangers keep Matt Gilroy as a third-pair defenseman, there are two spots open because Tortorella expects to carry 23 players, including 14 forwards, and Chris Drury (broken finger) on injured reserve.

"He has a good shot. He plays physical, he's not afraid to block shots, so I think he's doing really good, if you ask me," Fedotenko said. "But I'm not the coach."

Valentenko will get another look Wednesday against the Red Wings at Madison Square Garden, along with Sauer, whose career has been detoured by hip surgeries in juniors and knee reconstruction that ended his 2007-08 season. Sauer was 9-26-35 in 106 games for the Hartford Wolfpack in the last two years.

Eminger, 26, was acquired by the Rangers (his sixth team since 2005) from the Ducks for Aaron Voros. A sore groin has limited his playing time and conditioning drills. "We don't want to turn it into [more than] a nagging thing, which it is," Tortorella said.

Notes & quotes: Mats Zuccarello, the 22-year-old Norwegian wing who was sent to Hartford on Monday, impressed Tortorella in the exit interview. "He was tremendous, because he admitted that he has a lot to learn. He comes to a new country, in the top level of his sport, it's a lot to ask . . . He's a talented kid, and if he's taught and he accepts the North American style, the smaller rink, he's able to handle that, you never know where it goes."