Spoke with a GM who would be interested in Ryan Smyth but he was told by Oilers that, as of right now, plan isn’t to trade him.

— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) February 3, 2012

Update: 3:39PM:

RT @SUN_TYCHKOWSKI: “I’ve moved four times in the last five years. I came (to Edmonton) for a reason.” – Ryan Smyth, asked about Rangers

— Steve Zipay (@stevezipay) February 3, 2012

Smyth denied making claims that he wanted to be traded back to Edmonton this past June, shortly before he was traded back.

Bcause, you know, players always tell the truth to the media a month before the deadline when asked if they would waive a no-move clause.

— Larry Brooks(@NYP_Brooksie) February 3, 2012

While saying that the team doesn’t have interest in Jeff Carter, he says that they have a close watch on what is going on in Nashville with Shea Weber and Ryan Suter.

Dreger notes that there is no panic with the Rangers right now and that Zach Parise and Suter are at the top of their list for players to go after on July 1 when unrestricted free agency starts.

This is not the first time that it has been reported that the Rangers are watching the Predators.

The price to acquire Suter, according to Dreger, is an NHL player, an “A” level prospect, a “B” level prospect and a first round pick.

It is believed that the Rangers could wear their Winter Classic jerseys against the Flyers on Sunday.

SWEATER ALERT! #NYR will wear their #WinterClassic jerseys this Sunday afternoon when they host the @NHLFlyers at The Garden

— New York Rangers (@thenyrangers) February 3, 2012

Tortorella responded:

I don’t think he’s been at this level. I think he’s improved this year, and eventually when you want to get where you want to be, he’s going to have to be better, so I think he really understands what we’re trying to do with our goaltending situation. I think that’s really helped him because he can practice at a level that he needs to, and he also gets his rest. And I think that’s helped him. A key thing is mentally he understands that now, and he keeps growing.”

Lundqvist is on pace to record his seventh straight 30 win season. His career high in wins is 38.

Hank has pretty much carried the Rangers every year since the lockout and he has always played at an intense and high level. There are no soft goals, his focus is as good as it has ever been and I think that he plays up to the level that the team in front of him plays at. He knows that he is the last line of defense and he doesn’t want to be the reason why the Rangers lose a game where they work hard and take a beating.

He has had games and streaks before where he has been unbeatable, but I don’t know if he has ever been this consistent with it.

The NY Post called Eli the King of NY but as great as he is….. @HLundqvist30 is and will always be #THEKING

— Brandon Dubinsky (@BDubi17) February 3, 2012

Katie Strang says that Tortorella wouldn’t commit to playing Eminger on Sunday.

Steve Eminger says his shooting is back to 100 percent and strength in right shoulder has improved. Working with heavier weights now off ice

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) February 3, 2012

Christensen on his relationship with John Tortorella, via NHL.com: “I probably frustrate him more than anyone else on this team. He’s definitely given me an opportunity. I come up here and didn’t know what to expect. He’s definitely got a people kind of side to him. He’s not the guy everyone sees on the bench. He’ll talk to you. You’ll see him laughing and joking with the guys. It’s been a lot of fun playing for him.”

Yeo on Christensen: I’m excited. He’s quality NHL player. He’s got elite skill. His hands, passing, his vision, his shot, versatile #mnwild

— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) February 3, 2012

Fletcher on Christensen: His strengths are areas where we need to improve upon; shootout, PP, center

— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) February 3, 2012

BTW, CT Whale haven’t won since Dec. 31, day Sean Avery was assigned. CT is 0-9-2 with Avery on roster, tho he has played only 5 of 11 games

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 3, 2012

Original Post: Back in December, Minnesota Wild blog Hockey Wilderness wrote a post about newly acquired Rangers center Casey Wellman.

They write that for Wellman to be a successful NHL player he needs to play in the top six:

That said, Wellman’s game is top six or nothing. He isn’t a grinder nor a checker. He is skilled labor being used to bag groceries. A job? Sure, but not the right job. He skates on the top line wing in Houston, developing into a top six forward with big minutes and power play time. When he is called up, he should be serving a similar purpose, or he should be left in Houston to play the minutes and situations he needs to play.

The Rangers made a deal like this last season and landed John Mitchell. That has worked out pretty well and I think that Wellman is a guy with a lot more upside. He is playing at a point per game pace in the AHL and has highly touted coming out of college. But as they point out in the post above, so were players like Matt Gilroy and Tyler Bozak. NHL players, but not players that match the the hype thrown on them. 

It’s the kind of move that I would make over and over again. As much as I liked the potential that Christensen had, he wasn’t playing and wasn’t going to be brought back next season. Wellman is a guy who has some potential and could maybe use this change of scenery to jump start him. That top six role with the Rangers isn’t likely, but I am never against adding young, under control prospects with upside.

Irony of Wellman deal: When Wellman was up during last stint, former #mnwild GM Doug Risebrough, now working for Slats, followed Wild around

— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) February 3, 2012