Breaking: Todd White, Tim Kennedy waived...

                   Surprising and strange development five days before opening night.

                   Coach John Tortorella confirmed that the two forwards were waived, but won't be sent to Hartford immediately. He says he expects them on ice at the training center here tomorrow.

                  Should they clear and be sent down, or be claimed, White's $2.375 mil salary and White's $550,000 will be off the books, leading to speculation that a trade is in the works.

                  Tortorella said Kennedy "faded at the end of camp", White "plateaued, but on upswing last couple games.

                  Kennedy was signed as a free agent; White, 35, arrived from Atlanta in the Brashear/Rissmiller swap. Looks to me as if Stepan and Fedotenko knocked them out, at least temporarily.

                 Tortorella deferred further questions to GM Glen Sather.

                 So, at this point, the Rangers could be down to 23 players (including injured Chris Drury and Vinny Prospal) with no healthy spares upfront by tomorrow's 3 p.m. roster deadline. 14 forwards, 7 D, 2 G.

****                

                The next D here won't be Shane O'Brien. He was traded to Nashville.