According to Mark Spector of Sportsnet.ca, the New York Rangers had one final discussion about claiming Sheldon Souray off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens, but have decided to pass and focus on Florida Panthers' defenseman Bryan McCabe.
McCabe fits two needs of the Rangers: at age 35, he would be a veteran presence on a very young blueline, and No. 2: he excels on the power play. He's that guy everyone has been clamoring for: someone who could potentially quarterback the man advantage. So far this season, in 45 games, McCabe has five goals and 17 assists -- and two goals and five assists on the power play. In his prime, McCabe scored 19 goals and had 49 assists and had 13 goals and 32 assists on the power play. An older player now, McCabe most likely will not produce at that clip even if dealt to New York, but someone with his experience would provide value to a struggling 5-on-4. While the Rangers do have D-men with more power-play points currently -- Staal has four goals and six assists -- McCabe isn't shy about taking a shot from the point, as he's twice had seasons with over 200 shots on goal. He's had a down year so far, but considering the Rangers don't have too many offense-first blueliners, it could be a decent fit. Just the respect he'll receive on the power play could provide a boost.
The major problem in a potential McCabe deal, of course, is who would Glen Sather want to give up? With so much young, promising talent on this roster and in the AHL, is it worth it to trade someone who very well could be a part of the core for a quick-PP fix? My guess is that Sather only trades for McCabe if his price comes down, but with Marian Gaborik lost for an undetermined time period with a concussion, Sather may be quicker to act than he would've been before today. The Bruins recently traded for Tomas Kaberle and had to let go of their top prospect, a first-rounder and a conditional pick. I highly doubt the Blueshirts mortgage that much for a rental piece.