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.

The Blueshirts had one of their best performances of the season tonight but couldn’t overcome the loss of their top two centers and incredible goaltending by Mikka Kiprusoff during a hard fought and physical contest won by the Flames 3-1.

Chris Drury left the game only 49 seconds in when Calgary’s Curtis Glencross blindsided him with a cheapshot that is sure to lead to a suspension for the winger. Drury was helped from the ice and was later reported to have suffered a concussion as a result of the dirty hit. The Flames jumped out early on a deflected shot by Daymond Langkow that beat Stephen Valiquette. The Rangers would even the score with under three minutes to go in the first period when Dan Girardi’s wrist shot from the point slipped past a screened Kiprusoff.

The second period was back and forth and physical with both teams finishing their checks and aggressively forechecking on both ends. The Rangers, already without Drury, would lose Brandon Dubinsky when he blocked a slapshot with his right arm. There is no official word on his injury as of yet but it looked like he hurt his wrist/forearm. The Flames would take the lead on a Jarome Iginla power play goal that came off a great pass from former Ranger Nigel Dawes at 16:47 of the second. The Rangers had some great scoring chances in the second but Kiprusoff was impenetrable robbing Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan on back to back shots during a power play.

It was more of the same during the third as Kiprusoff repeatedly stoned the Rangers and kept his team in the lead. Rene Bourque would put the finishing touches on the win for the Flames when he beat Valiquette with a shot deflected off Girardi’s stick late in the third.

Thumbs Up- Vinny Prospal, Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins all continued their string of solid performances as of late and accounted for many of the Rangers’ quality offensive chances. Marc Staal had a wonderful game and held Iginla in check at even strength throughout the contest. Marian Gaborik didn’t score but had at least 4 quality chances in the second period and was a victim of great goaltending by Kiprusoff.

Thumbs Down- Michal Roszival has become the worst player on the team. He has not made an impact offensively at all this season and his defense has been spotty at best. There is no way that he can be allowed to remain with this club at the NHL level if he continues to play the kind of uninspired, terrible hockey he has played so far this season.

Three Stars- 3- Marc Staal- Another solid performance defensively against one of the league’s most dangerous players.

2- Ales Kotalik- Kotalik’s bombs from the point on the power play are a thing of beauty and he was a crossbar away from adding to his impressive body of work so far this season.

1- Vinny Prospal- Prospal is continuously the Rangers most active player and has made an impact offensively in almost every game this season. He collected another assist on the Blueshirts’ lone goal and even showed some physical edge in his battles along the boards tonight. Another good performance from the season’s biggest surprise.

The Rangers return home to face the Atlanta Thrashers at MSG on Thursday.

In other news, Lauri Korpikoski, who was traded to the Coyotes on Monday, signed a two year deal. In other former Rangers-Coyotes news, Nigel Dawes who was put on waivers by the Coyotes after he filed for arbitration was claimed by the Calgary Flames. Former Ranger Jed Ortmayer has signed with the San Jose Sharks.

Larry Brooks of the NY Post scored an exclusive interview with John Tortorella during which the coach discussed the Scott Gomez trade, the possibility of Brandon Dubinsky as first line center and the team’s reliance on youth during the upcoming campaign. To read the full interview click here. There have been some rumors of Brendan Shanahan possible making a return to Broadway. I personally think that bringing back Shanahan would be a mistake (although he is a positive locker room presence) and that the ice time given to him would better benefit a younger player with more to prove than a surefire hall of famer trying to put a cap on a marvelous career. For more on Shanahan and the rumors click here.

Updated (7:50 PM) The Rangers have traded D Brian Fahey to the Colorado Avalanche for D Nigel Williams. Fahey, 28, had 4 goals and 20 assists in 66 games for the Hartford Wolfpack last season. Williams, 21, was a second round pick of the Avalanche in 2006. The 6’4 226 lb. prospect  posted 7 goals and 21 points for Lake Erie (AHL) last season. Hockey’s Future ranks Williams as the Avalanche’s 3rd highest prospect and says he has “unusually good puck-handling and skating skills for a player of his size.”

Just like with the Gomez trade when Sather got Ryan McDonagh from the Canadiens, it looks like he has pulled off another robbery turning a depth defenseman into a top young prospect with size. If nothing else, Sather has added to his stockpile of impressive young defensive prospects and trade chips.