Marian Gaborik Progressing After Offseason Shoulder Surgery

New York Rangers forward Marian Gaborik stated that he was feeling healthy after participating in an informal workout with teammates on Tuesday. Gaborik is still recovering from shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum, which was performed in early June after the Rangers were eliminated by the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals.

While Gaborik isn't able to participate in contact drills or shoot the puck with the same fervor he is used to, the 30-year-old goal-scorer is pleased with the progress he has made thus far.

Gaborik says he is "happy with progress" with his surgically-repaired shoulder "I can feel the difference..feel it's getting better"

— New York Rangers (@thenyrangers) September 11, 2012

Gaborik played in all 82 games last season, registering 41 goals and 35 assists for 76 points.

For all news and information regarding the New York Rangers, please visit Blueshirt Banter or head on over to SB Nation New York.

New York Rangers Rumors: Defenseman Steve Eminger Re-Signs

The New York Rangers have agreed to terms with 28-year-old free agent defenseman Steve Eminger for $750,000. Eminger spent the last two seasons in New York after spending time in Washington, Florida, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Anaheim.

Eminger played a total of 42 games last season as he battled injuries. A separated shoulder sidelined him for two months and he also missed time with a bad ankle sprain. In the 107 games he's played with the Rangers since 2010, Eminger averaged 14:34 of ice time. He has scored four goals and dished out seven assists in that span, also recording a +/- of -5.

Here is Adam Rotter of SNYRangers with some reaction to the move:

At this point in the offseason with a likely shortened training camp coming post lockout, bringing back Eminger is a smart move. He knows the players, coaches and system, works hard and is really liked in the locker room. The Rangers will have the same defense that they did last year and will have tremendous depth if Michael Sauer is able to return at some point. Eminger on the third pair is a better situation for the Rangers than a new player who will get rushed through the system during training camp.

For more on the Rangers throughout the offseason, be sure to check out Blue Shirt Banter and SB Nation New York.

New York Rangers Sign Defenseman Steve Eminger

The New York Rangers announced on Monday that they reached a deal to re-sign free agent defenseman Steve Eminger. The terms of Eminger's deal were not immediately released, but the New York Post's Larry Brooks reported that it is a one-year, $750,000 contract.

Eminger played 42 games for the Rangers last season, scoring two goals and tallying three assists. Eminger averaged 13:16 time on ice per game for the Rangers in the 2011-12 season. In 2010-11, his first season with the Rangers, Eminger played 65 games with two goals and four assists.

Since being drafted in 2002 Eminger has played 453 NHL games for six teams. The defenseman has spent time with the Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks and, since 2010, the Rangers. In his NHL career Eminger has 17 goals and 77 assists.

Stick with this StoryStream for updates, news and more on the New York Rangers 2012 offseason. For full time Rangers news and analysis, head over to Blue Shirt Banter.

Michael Del Zotto, Rangers Not Close To A Deal, According To Report

New York Rangers free agent defenseman Michael Del Zotto and the Rangers are reportedly not close to a deal.

Del Zotto is coming off his entry level deal and was making a base salary of $925,000 per season with bonuses of up to $125,000 available. The Rangers are reportedly offering the defenseman a multi-year deal worth between $2.2 million to $2.5 million per season.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has set Sept. 15 as the date for a lockout if no new CBA is reached. Del Zotto could be under pressure to hammer out the details of a contract before that lockout date as there is a real possibility of less cap money being available under a new CBA.

Del Zotto had 10 goals and 31 assists in 77 games on the Rangers' blueline last season.

Stick with this StoryStream for updates, news and more on the New York Rangers 2012 offseason. For full time Rangers news and analysis, head over to Blue Shirt Banter.

Rick Nash Trade: Rangers, Blue Jackets Agree On Deal -- Report

After months and months of speculation and talks, the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets have finally reached an agreement on a blockbuster trade that will send Rick Nash to the Big Apple. The news was broke by TSN's hockey insider Darren Dreger (confirmed by The Columbus Dispatch's Aaron Portzline), who tweeted the trade is being processed and involves multiple players and contracts, all of which need to be worked out before the trade is called into the league.

The news comes as a bit of a surprise, as the latest update on a possible trade for Nash suggested the two teams were too far apart on a deal. Obviously, talks between the Blue Jackets and Ranger have continued and finally worked out and finalized this morning when Nash approved the deal.

Dreger is reporting one of the players is not Derek Stepan, but rather Brandon Dubinsky, Tim Erixon and a first-round pick are involved, as is Artem Anisimov says TSN's Bob McKenzie.

For the latest on the Rick Nash trade, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. To discuss the trade, visit the SB Nation blog Blueshirt Banter.

NHL Free Agency 2012: Jeff Halpern Signs 1-Year Deal With New York Rangers

The New York Rangers continued to add depth to their roster Tuesday, as they signed center Jeff Halpern to a one-year, $700,000 deal. Halpern isn't expected to be a big offensive play-maker for the Blueshirts, however, he will provide another body to a roster that will be without Marion Gaborik for the early part of the 2013 season.

The signing also leads some to believe that the Rangers could be setting themselves up for a trade, says the SB Nation blog Blueshirt Banter:

One thing to think about though is, that's yet another center the New York Rangers have on the team, which gives them an abundance of depth down the middle. It may lead one to believe that a deal may be in the works to ship one of them out. This is pure speculation, but the asking price for Bobby Ryan was a number two center, could the Rangers possibly deal off a center with ease now that Halpern is in the mix?

Last season, Helpern played with the Washington Capitals, who lost to the Rangers in the Eastern Conference semifinals series. Helpern is a 12-year veteran who has played for five other NHL franchises.

Stick with this StoryStream for updates, news and more on the New York Rangers 2012 offseason. For full time Rangers news and analysis, head over to Blue Shirt Banter.

New York Rangers 2012 Offseason: Rangers Re-Sign Backup Goalie Martin Biron

The New York Rangers have re-signed backup goalie Martin Biron, NHL.com reports. Biron was to enter free agency before signing a two-year deal with $2.6 million with New York. Biron saw action in 21 games for the Rangers in 2012, starting 20 of them. He gave up an average of 2.46 goals and posted a .904 save percentage. The team was 12-6 with Biron in net.

SB Nation's New York Rangers blog Blueshirt Banter commented on the move:

Biron, who was a serviceable backup last year who not only earned John Tortorella's trust but also spelled Henrik Lundqvist for 20 starts, returns after telling the media he was happy with his role and time in New York.

This is a win-win for both sides. The Rangers get a quality backup goaltender who can give Lundqvist the rest he needs during the season while also giving the Rangers valuable wins. We've documented how Biron goes out of his way to make sure that he keeps Lundqvist in his routine, something which will continue as time goes on.

With the free agency market looking thin, New York re-signing Biron looks like good news for Rangers fans.

Stick with this StoryStream for updates, news and more on the New York Rangers 2012 offseason. For full time Rangers news and analysis, head over to Blue Shirt Banter.

NHL Free Agency Rumors 2012: New York Rangers Interested In Keeping Martin Biron

The New York Rangers are interested in keeping Martin Biron as their backup goalie, Biron's agent, Peter Fish, told the New York Post on Monday.

"We have had several positive discussions with the Rangers that are hopefully headed in the right direction, because Marty's first choice is to remain in New York," Biron's agent, Peter Fish, told The Post yesterday. "The Rangers have made it clear that they want to keep him, but there is still some work to be done."

Biron was strong during the 2011-12 season as Henrik Lundqvist's backup, finishing the year 12-6-2 with a 2.46 goals-against average in 20 starts. It's obvious why the Rangers want to keep the 34-year old, but they will likely have plenty of competition for his services, as several teams can use a solid backup netminder. The Philadelphia Flyers are one of the teams expected to show interest.

Stick with this StoryStream for more updates on the 2012 NHL off-season. Blue Shirt Banter is your home for Rangers news and analysis.

Rick Nash Trade Rumors: New York Rangers Again Reportedly In Pursuit

Marian Gaborik Injury: Rangers Forward Needs Shoulder Surgery

Rangers Forward, Marian Gaborik, needs shoulder surgery this off-season.

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