On one of the most anti-climactic deadline days in recent memory, Rangers GM Glen Sather decided, surprisingly, not to jump into the fray and only pulled off two minor transactions before today’s league imposed 3 PM cutoff. Sather added the veteran depth defenseman they had lacked since the start of the season when they acquired journeyman Anders Eriksson from Phoenix for AHL goalie Miika Wiikman and a 2011 7th round draft pick.

Eriksson, 35, is a veteran of 14 NHL seasons. The 6-3, 224 lb. defenseman played 12 games for the Coyotes this season registering 3 assists. In 564 career games, Eriksson has compiled 22 goals and 152 assists. It is unclear whether he will be assigned to Hartford or will stay with the club at the NHL level should recently waived Enver Lisin or Aaron Voros be sent down.

The Rangers also swapped minor leaguers, trading LW Jordan Owens, who had 6 goals and 13 assists in 50 games for Hartford this season, to Detroit for C Kris Newbury. Newbury, 28, had 11 goals and 22 assists for Grand Rapids of the AHL this season. The 5-10, 205 lb. pivot has played in 48 career NHL contests registering 4 goals, 3 assists and 64 penalty minutes in those games.

While Sather’s decision to stand pat was met with mixed reaction from media and fans, I believe that it was the wrong move by the embattled GM. The Rangers, most everyone would agree, are not Stanley Cup contenders as currently constituted. The team has a shot at making the playoffs if they can pull off a late season surge but to expect anything more than a first round exit from this club (if they get in at all) is purely wishful thinking. While I applaud Glen Sather for realizing that this team is more than one or two players away from a long postseason run and not sacrificing any of his valuable young assets or draft picks to bring in a rental player or two today, there were still some moves that were begging to be made prior to the deadline. With teams like Pittsburgh, Washington, Philadelphia, Vancouver and Phoenix all looking to gain an advantage as the playoffs near, Sather owed it to his organization to shop impending UFA’s Vinny Prospal, Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust to see if he could gain any valuable assets in return. With Carolina sniper Ray Whitney off the market, Prospal might have been a very attractive option (especially considering his low cap number) for many teams and might have garnered a first round pick in return based on other deals we’ve witnessed as of late. Sather knowing his team isn’t built for a deep run should have been looking to collect assets for next season and beyond instead of sitting on his hands and hoping for a miracle run come the postseason.

Sather has made some good moves as of late, getting rid of the ridiculous contract of Ales Kotalik and waiving Enver Lisin and Aaron Voros to gain some much needed cap space are two examples, but the moves that he needed to make the most for the future of this franchise seemed to never be a part of his deadline day plans. Sather may surprise everyone and use his cap room this summer in free agency to land a big fish up front like Illya Kovalchuk or Alexander Frolov, both players the Rangers desperately need to take some of the scoring burden off Marian Gaborik. He may even be able to pull off a trade for a bruising defenseman and in the process unload a few more of his albatross contracts. Sather has hung around for a long time by making those kind of moves and buying himself another year in the corner office but today, by holding on to hope and being blind to the reality of his team’s situation, he may have finally given the ownership of the Blueshirts an irrefutable reason as to why he shouldn’t be running this team next season. Unfortunately for the fans, the owners seem to be just as blind as their appointed emperor.

Both players are expected to join the Rangers in Los Angeles tomorrow but there is no word yet whether they will be in the lineup versus the Kings.

Here is the official news via TSN.

The official release from the Rangers is here.

Jokinen licking his lips at the prospect of centering Gaborik?

TSN Canada is reporting that the Rangers are close to announcing a deal that would send forwards Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins to the Calgary Flames for C Olli Jokinen and F Brandon Prust.

Jokinen, 31, has 11 goals and 24 assists in 55 games with the Flames this season. He is in the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent following the season.

Prust, 25, is a rugged forward who has 1 goal and 4 assists in 24 games this season. He will also be a UFA at season’s end.

Higgins was acquired by the Blueshirts this past offseason in the Scott Gomez trade with Montreal and the Long Island native has never really looked comfortable playing with his hometown club. Kotalik, who was another offseason acquisition of GM Glen Sather, never found his place on the ice and after a hot start has spent most of his time in the rafters over the last month instead of on the ice during games. Higgins is a UFA at season’s end and Kotalik still has two years remaining on the 3 year, 9 million dollar pact he signed over the summer.

Analysis: While it’s easy to call for Glen Sather’s head based on this team’s uneven and uninspired play this season and an obviously mismatched roster he put together, Rangers fans must admit that the man knows how to pull off a trade. If this deal goes through, The Rangers will acquire a proven scorer in Jokinen and a physical presence (who can fill the void that Donald Brashear hasn’t been able to) in Brandon Prust while subtracting a player in Higgins, who obviously had trouble with playing on this stage and also removing six million dollars off the books over the next two seasons by shedding the enigmatic Kotalik. This is a great move for the Rangers from every angle and if Jokinen prospers while he’s on Broadway, the Blueshirts will have the first crack at him in free agency once the season ends. I have to think, while the fans won’t be happy until the “W”‘s come more frequently for this club, that this move will make more than a few of them smile and that the attendance at the upcoming “Fire Sather” rally may have just been thinned out a little by the wily old general manager.

In other news, Chad Johnson was back at practice today for the Rangers after starting two games and making three appearances for Hartford (AHL) this weekend. Tortorella said he was unsure when Johnson would get another chance to start.

Erik Christensen and Donald Brashear are expected to be healthy scratches tomorrow night.

John Tortorella doesn’t have much to say to the media after watching his team get embarrased by the Canadiens Saturday night.

This team obviously has some problems that “more practice time” and “studying game tape” are not going to fix. There is NO secondary scoring after Marian Gaborik. Some of the younger forwards (Anisimov, Lisin) are obviously struggling and are not finishing. No one is scared of this team and as witnessed in Philly, opponents feel they can take shots at anyone without fear of reprisal. This club, as it’s constituted right now, may be strong enough to slip into the playoffs but is no threat to the Capitals, Penguins, Devils, Flyers or any other top team in the East. Glen Sather needs to open his eyes and see this team is BROKEN and it’s time to start selling and get ready for next year. Wade Redden should have a one way ticket to Hartford waiting for him when he returns to New York. Vinny Prospal, Christopher Higgins, Donald Brashear, Ales Kotalik and Aaron Voros should be sent postage paid to any club that is willing to have them and their salaries. This organization needs to move on immediately, bring up some kids (Grachev, Locke, Sanguinetti) and see what they can do and get ready for the draft. If Glen Sather can’t see this (or more likely, he sees it but won’t do anything about it) then it is time to finally pull the plug on him and bring in someone who will.

Sean Avery celebrates against the Stars.

The Rangers improved their record to 7-1-2 over their last 10 games with a hard fought 5-2 victory over the Dallas Stars tonight at MSG. Sean Avery, who played one of his best games as a Ranger versus his former club, had 4 points and was involved all over the ice. The Rangers used big goals from Avery, Chris Drury, the suddenly hot Ales Kotalik and NHL leading goal scorer Marian Gaborik and another standout performance by Henrik Lundqvist to hold off a hard charging Stars squad and add two big points in the chase for a playoff spot.

Thumbs Up- Ales Kotalik, who used his booming slap shot to score for the second straight game after going 21 straight contests without a tally, had another strong game and was a physical presence as well. Brian Boyle got involved and made some nice plays. Marc Staal did a good job of controlling the play in front of Lundqvist. Brandon Dubinsky had another strong performance playing with tons of heart and snarl and Chris Drury scored a big goal late to give the Blueshirts a much needed cushion. Ryan Callahan slipped one into an empty net to finish off the scoring.

Thumbs Down- Donald Brashear once again was invisible. Dan Girardi had a chance, much like Michael Del Zotto during the last game, to even things up and make a big statement when Steve Ott ran Lundqvist early on but instead gave him a token push. This might become a big problem later on in some of the more physical division matchups during the stretch run if this team doesn’t start punishing opponents who are obviously not scared of retribution for their actions.

Three Stars- 3- Erik Christensen- Since his promotion to the top line, Christensen has ratcheted up the intensity and put together a string of outstanding performances. He seems to be making the most of his opportunity and may be a candidate to return next season should his improved play continue.

2-Henrik Lundqvist- The “King” was a victim of two horrible bounces tonight or he might have had his second shutout of the season. Lundqvist, who appears to be thriving with what seems like an endless workload, had a wonderful game and kept the Rangers in this game with his timely saves during the many shorthanded situations the team faced tonight.

1- Sean Avery- If only Avery played with this much intensity every night, he’d be a Hart Trophy candidate. Obviously energized by playing the team that dumped him last season, Avery was a force all over the ice not only scoring and setting up his teammates but also taking many of the Stars’ big names off their games with his pest-like antics. Probably the best beginning to end game that No. 16 has had in a Rangers uniform and hopefully a jumpstart to a big second half of the season for a player who has proven he can be a huge momentum changer for this club.

The Rangers head to Atlanta tomorrow to face the Thrashers at 7PM.

Christopher Higgins rescues the Blueshirts.

In a game that saw the Rangers blow a two goal lead late after dominating most of the matchup, Christopher Higgins rescued the Blueshirts with a huge tally with just over a minute left to give them a 3-2 win tonight at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers are now 6-1-2 in their last 9 games.

Henrik Lundqvist had a very strong game through two and a half periods and the Rangers got early goals from Ales Kotalik and Erik Christensen to build a 2-0 lead they held until about 5 minutes left in the third. After Boston netminder Tukka Rask stoned Kotalik on an open net chance, Matt Hunwick (shorthanded) and Blake Wheeler scored back to back goals to erase the deficit.

Thumbs Up- Ales Kotalik looked very comfortable and definitely got a big confidence boost from his first goal in 21 contests. Michal Roszival had a solid game. Ryan Callahan, once again, was everywhere and had a monster hit late in the third on David Krejci. Michael Del Zotto added two assists and was strong on the puck.

Thumbs Down- Donald Brashear brings nothing to the table anymore and is playing on borrowed time. Wade Redden was a non factor. Enver Lisin has skated well but still can’t find the net. Del Zotto, who excelled offensively, needs to be a bigger force in protection of Henrik Lundqvist. When Marc Savard knocked Henrik down in the second period, Del Zotto followed him to the corner but did nothing that would make Savard think twice about running Lundqvist again. This has been a club wide problem this season but the youngster had a chance to make a statement and blew it tonight.

Three Stars- 3- Henrik Lundqvist- Until giving up those two late goals, Lundqvist was a stone wall against the Bruins and was the biggest reason the team had a 2 goal lead going into the third period. Henrik needs to finish games stronger if the Rangers want to make the postseason.

2- Christopher Higgins- Higgins has been a huge disappointment this season offensively but no one can question the winger’s work ethic. When Higgins fooled Rask and slipped the puck past him short side to give the Rangers the late lead it was only his second goal at MSG all year but you would never know it by his strong play at both ends. A nice reward for a player who hasn’t given up even with a huge weight on his shoulders.

1- Brandon Dubinsky- Dubinsky was the best player on the ice tonight. He skated extremely well, moved the puck, worked the boards and led the team in shots on goal. Even though he couldn’t finish tonight, he was all over the ice and was integral in setting up both of the team’s early goals. He has raised his game in the absence of Vinny Prospal and looks ready to take a bigger role leadership wise for the remainder of the season.

The Rangers next game is Wednesday when they host the Dallas Stars at MSG

The biggest issue for this team so far during these recent struggles is not it’s lack of scoring past it’s top line but the disappointing play of an underperforming unrecognizable Henrik Lundqvist in goal. It seems as if Henrik has not fixed his problems of last postseason and continues to go down way too early giving the opponents the top corner on a consistent basis. Tonight, he was beat again up high by Mike Rupp (an enforcer with very little offensive skill) on a shot Henrik would routinely stop in the past. Coach Benoit Allaire has to do something to help Henrik fix this flaw or it won’t matter how many goals the Blueshirts (Gaborik) score, this season will slip away faster than that series with the Caps in last year’s postseason.

Thumbs Up- Gaborik, Gaborik, Gaborik! Sean Avery joined the top line with Gaborik and Vinny Prospal and had another energetic performance. Matt Gilroy was buzzing throughout the first two periods. Donald Brashear (Who?) probably had his best game as a Ranger. P.A. Parenteau continues to be among the hardest workers on this team every night.

Thumbs Down- Michal Roszival followed an o.k. performance on Saturday with a downright horrible one tonight. He is just about done here in New York if he can’t find a way to fix his myriad of problems. He can’t join the offense, he no longer plays a physical game at all and his defensive zone coverage is just plain atrocious. Bobby Sanguinetti is not ready to play major minutes at this level. Has anyone seen Chris Drury, Ryan Callahan or Ales Kotalik lately?

Three Stars- 3- Dan Girardi- Strong game at both ends. Continues to be physical force in his own end even as his teammates continue to shy away from contact on a regular basis.

2- Artem Anisimov- While the goals haven’t come yet for the strong, talented youngster, everything else has. He controls the puck and uses his body to shield off defenders like a veteran. He plays a heads up style and is defensively responsible. He never seems to take a shift off (like fellow impressive youngster Parenteau) and is playing major minutes for this club.

1- Marian Gaborik- Who Else? Another typical night for Gabs. 2 Goals. Takes a beating in front and stands up to any and all comers. This guy is a complete player and right now might be the best player in the NHL this season.

The Rangers next game is Saturday against a very hot Sabres club in Buffalo. Let’s hope they can work on fixing these problems before they travel upstate or they will be in for more of the same butt kickings they have been experiencing as of late.

Torts talks to reporters following the loss. It seems Enver Lisin and Ales Kotalik (who I believe is still giving 110% on every shift even though his results leave something to be desired) are in the doghouse with the coach. Maybe it’s time for Torts, Sather & Co. to send down some vets and bring up some kids (Evgeny Grachev, Dane Byers) who are hungry to get a chance with the big club. It seems to have worked with Parenteau, who should no doubt stay with the club once Brandon Dubinsky returns (but probably won’t as Sather will go with the bigger name and contract number).

The Rangers have a chance to put a stop to this tailspin and exact some revenge on Sidney Crosby and the Penguins when Pittsburgh visits the Garden on Monday night. Let’s hope for the good of the season and the future of this club and their coach, they show much more fire and fight than they have the last two nights.

Chris Drury, Marc Staal and other Rangers discuss the upcoming road trip following today’s practice.

John Tortorella meets with the media following practice.

NHL.com’s Dan Rosen has an interesting look at Henrik Lundqvist and the goaltender’s less than King-like play of late here.