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The Rangers may lure top prospect Chris Kreider to turn pro, but they'll have to wait at least one more day.

The 20-year-old center finished with a goal and an assist as he led his Boston College club past Minnesota 6-1 Thursday in the Frozen Four's semi-finals in Tampa. The team will face Ferris State in the National Championship game Saturday.

Regardless of the outcome, Kreider faces an important decision. Should he elect to forego his senior season and sign with the Rangers, Kreider would be eligible to play for the team in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs. Rangers assistant general manager Jeff Gorton is in Tampa for the tournament to facilitate contract talks should Kreider decide to turn pro.

What it means: The Rangers already clinched the Eastern Conference title, but the Penguins may be the team to beat in the playoffs. Pittsburgh defeated New York for the fourth straight game, clinching the No. 4 seed with a 5-2 win over the first-place Rangers. League-leading scorer Evgeni Malkin finished with his 49th goal of the season and an assist in an impressive display of depth for the Penguins. Brandon Dubinsky and Brian Boyle scored for the Rangers, but Pittsburgh dominated the game even without a goal from superstar Sidney Crosby. Perhaps a preview of the Eastern Conference finals?

Big night for Biron: In his 500th career start, Martin Biron gave up four goals in his second consecutive loss to the Penguins. Biron made what could well be his last appearance in goal, relieving Henrik Lundqvist after Lundqvist made his 10th straight start Tuesday. Lundqvist might have needed a rare night off regardless of the workload; the 30-year-old netminder is battling stiffness in his right arm after making a painful save on Claude Giroux in the second period of the team’s 5-3 win in Philadelphia on Tuesday. However, he is expected to play against the Capitals in the Rangers’ season finale at Madison Square Garden.

Unusual suspects: The Penguins boast one of the deepest squads in the league, but it was a cast of unexpected characters that tallied the first three goals for Pittsburgh: Chris Kunitz, Tyler Kennedy and Richard Park.

Knee-to-knee: Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for his knee-to-knee hit on second-year center Derek Stepan in the third period. Stepan remained on the bench but did not play in the remaining 4:39 of play. Any suspension handed down by NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan would carry over into the playoffs.

First break: The Rangers fell behind early after defenseman Kris Letang's shot bounced off Kunitz’s skate past Biron 1:11 into play. The Penguins capitalized again later in the first, turning a Biron turnover into a 2-1 lead with Kennedy’s 11th of the season.

On the lookout: The Rangers’ spot in the playoffs is set, but their first-round opponent has yet to be determined. With one game remaining in the regular season, it appears the Blueshirts will most likely face the Washington Capitals, who beat the floundering Panthers 4-2. Although unlikely, the Capitals can still top Florida to win the Southeast Division.

Up Next: Rangers vs. Capitals, Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

As the playoffs approach, an important personnel question looms for the Rangers:

Will top prospect Chris Kreider leave school and turn pro? If so, can he be expected to make an impact for the Rangers in the 2012 playoffs?

The 21-year-old center has a tough decision to make, and soon. His Boston College Eagles take on the Minnesota Gophers Thursday as the NCAA Frozen Four kicks off in Tampa but, regardless of tonight's outcome, Kreider's season will be over this weekend. From there, he'll have to weigh whether to return to BC or forego his senior season to sign with the Eastern Conference champion Blueshirts.

If he chooses the latter, Rangers Assistant General manager Jeff Gorton is on hand in Tampa to facilitate. And as first reported by the New York Post, Kreider would be eligible to compete for the Rangers in the playoffs should he decide to turn pro, a source confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com. What remains to be seen is whether he can make the transition from collegiate hockey to the NHL at the height of it's intensity.

John Tortorella is a demanding coach that requires impeccable conditioning from his players -- both physical and mental -- and doesn't baby-sit those who fall behind.

Kreider is regarded within the organization as an absolute "can't miss" prospect with size and speed, but has not played against top-tier talent. However, the team does not have a ton of depth of front.

The 6-2, 205-pound Kreider, who leads his team with 22 goals and 21 assists in 42 games played, may give the Rangers another offensive weapon if he can prove he can play.

For more on Kreider's big decision, read ESPN Insider's recent story here

What it means: The Rangers failed to clinch an Eastern Conference title as the defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins denied New York of a series sweep with a 2-1 win at Madison Square Garden. The Bruins notched a pair of goals in the second period to top the Rangers in the fourth and final meeting of the two teams this season and secure the Northeast Division title, while giving fans on Broadway a preview of what could be an enticing Eastern Conference finals match-up down the road.

Gaborik hits 40: Beating Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas early in the first, Marian Gaborik tallied his 40th goal of the season to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 4:33. Jordan Caron incidentally blocked teammate Zdeno Chara’s thundering slapshot, and the puck squirted out to Gaborik for the breakaway. The 30-year-old sniper reached the 40-goal plateau for the second time with the Rangers, third time of his career. He is two goals shy of his career-high 42 goals, achieved twice -- in 2009-10 with New York and two seasons prior with the Minnesota Wild.

All tied up: Chara had a hand in the Bruins’ first goal as well, setting up fellow defenseman Dennis Seidenberg with a slapshot from the blue-line to tie the game four minutes into the second period.

Oops: A rare Dan Girardi turnover allowed the Bruins to take a 2-1 lead in the second period, as Seguin pounced on the giveaway and found Patrice Bergeron to tuck it away for a power-play goal at 11:52 of the second.

Setting the stage: The Rangers scoff at any mention of the standings and claim to be oblivious to any game but their own, but there was a Sunday matinee that may have garnered some interest. The Pittsburgh Penguins fell 6-4 to the Philadelphia Flyers in a nasty divisional game that whittled the Rangers’ magic number to one. With the two point sacrificed by the Pens, New York entered Sunday’s match needing only one point to clinch the Eastern Conference title. The game was a good preview of what will likely be the 4-5 match-up in the East; the game ended with a melee that extended to both team’s coaching staffs as well. Philadelphia’s Peter Laviolette and Pittsburgh assistant Tony Granato were ejected from the game after screaming at each other from the bench.

Up Next: Rangers at Flyers, Tuesday at 7 p.m.

What it means: The opening-faceoff line brawl was well-orchestrated, but the hatred between the Rangers and Devils was altogether genuine in a nasty series finale that ended with a playoff-clinching 4-2 win for the Blueshirts at Madison Square Garden. A whopping 40 penalty minutes were dished out between both clubs as fists flew three seconds into the game, and although the Devils pulled within a goal twice in the second period, the Rangers held on to become the first team in the East to secure a berth in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs and snap a two-game losing streak.

Rough Stuff: Tempers flared as a total of six players dropped the gloves on the opening face-off. Taking the draw at center ice, defenseman-turned-center Stu Bickel paired up with Ryan Carter, while heavyweights Mike Rupp and Eric Boulton fought, as did Cam Janssen and Brandon Prust. Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador also received a 10-minute misconduct for stepping in to Carter’s aid when the fourth-line forward was left bloodied in his fight with Bickel. Carter left the ice to receive stitches but returned later in the first period.

No love lost: The players weren’t the only ones immersed in the opening-faceoff hostilities. Video replays showed Rangers coach John Tortorella screaming and cursing at the Devils' bench, presumably at opposing coach Pete DeBoer. As the visiting coach, DeBoer sets his starting lineup first and elected to give his fourth line the nod. Tortorella appeared to receive the message, using Bickel to take the opening faceoff instead of natural pivot Brandon Dubinsky, who suffered injuries in a fight with Carter in the two teams' previous meeting. Tortorella did decide to sit tough guy John Scott, however. The hulking 6-8, 260-pound enforcer was scratched after taking pregame warmups.

Not so stingy: And while the marquee matchup between Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Brodeur is normally the main event when the two teams meet, Monday's contest was no goal-tending duel as both players looked a little ragged.

Hot hand: With his second goal in as many games, recently-recalled Mats Zuccarello buried a rebound on the power-play to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead at 7:33 of the second. The diminutive Norwegian forward gave New York its first man-up goal in four games.

Just like old times: Linemates from the Devils Stanley Cup championship-winning team in 2000, Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora combined for two goals in the second period. Set up by Sykora, Elias beat Lundqvist short-side to cut a two-goal Rangers lead in half at 5:03; Sykora then buried a sharp-angle shot to whittle the lead again to one goal at 11:08. With his second-period marker, Elias recorded the seventh 25-goal season in his 15-year career; it was the first time the 35-year-old Czech reached the milestone since '08-'09.

Dubinsky breaks through: With the crowd buzzing after the opening theatrics, Dubinsky scored his first goal in seven games, beating Brodeur from the slot to convert on a rush, to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead 1:11 into play.

Up next: Rangers vs. Red Wings, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.; Devils vs. Senators, Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

The Penguins return their best player Thursday, but the Rangers will be without theirs.

All-star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who missed Tuesday's game against Carolina, is out against Pittsburgh in Sidney Crosby's heralded return.

Lundqvist said he wanted to play against the scorching Pens -- Pittsburgh enters the match on a nine-game winning streak -- but didn't feel quite ready after missing three days with illness.

"Doing nothing laying in bed for two days doesn't do much to help your game," he joked after participating in the Rangers' morning skate.

Lundqvist and the team agreed that giving backup netminder Martin Biron was the right choice against the Rangers' Atlantic Division rivals. Biron will make his second consecutive start after recording his 14th win of the season with a 27-save effort against the Hurricanes two days ago.

"Having Marty playing so well, it doesn't make sense to be selfish," Lundqvist said. "It's the best decision for the team."

Although the irrefutable MVP of a dominant Rangers squad this season, Lundqvist's play dipped slightly during the team's recent struggles. He has given up three or more goals in his last five starts.

Biron, 13-15-5 in 33 games against Pittsburgh, said he'll relish the opportunity to square off against what may be the most dangerous team in the league right now.

"It's big for our club. It's big for everybody here," Biron said. "I think the last few games have been good for us in the team game and in some individual games too....hopefully that keeps going. It is a big stage and a big opportunity for the club."

In addition to Lundqvist's absence, the Rangers will also be without captain Ryan Callahan (foot) and defenseman Michael Del Zotto.

Scary to think that the Penguins have won nine games without both superstar center Sidney Crosby and top defenseman Kris Letang. Considering they are expected to return both Thursday against the Rangers, Pittsburgh is now viewed by many as the team to beat.

Including Rangers general manager Glen Sather.

"They're obviously, I think, the best team in the league," Sather told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun after the GM meetings wrapped up in Boca Raton, FL Wednesday. "With [Crosby] back, it's certainly going to make it a lot more difficult."

The Rangers have won two straight to open a seven-game homestand at MSG, but will face a scorching Penguins team tonight in a match-up between the top two teams in the Atlantic Division standings.

Read more about ESPN's Game of the Week here.

The Rangers kicked off a seven-game homestand with two straight wins but their biggest test awaits on Thursday when the Sidney Crosby and the scorching Pittsburgh Penguins come to town.

The game is much more than a marquee match-up between the Eastern Conference's elite, however.

The Penguins' 24-year-old captain continues to captivate the NHL as he makes his second return this season; Crosby has not played since December 5 because of post-concussion symptoms and has been limited to eight games over the last 14 months because of a head injury sustained last season.

And everyone remembers how his first comeback went, right?

Crosby tallied two goals and recorded four points against the Islanders and rookie goaltender Anders Nilsson in his triumphant return November 21. The Eastern Conference-leading Blueshirts hope to make things much more unpleasant for the league's reigning superstar.

New York limited Crosby to two assists in the only game against him this season -- a 4-3 win against Pittsburgh November 29 -- and hope to thwart him again with less than a month remaining in the regular season.

With a 4-2 win against Carolina Tuesday, in which their top line of Carl Hagelin, Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik combined for nine points, the Rangers widened their lead on the Penguins to six points in the Atlantic Division standings.

The Rangers are irrefutably the team to beat, but the Penguins are definitely the hottest. They enter the Garden on a nine-game winning streak and may bolster their lineup beyond adding Crosby; defenseman Kris Letang also appears eligible to return for the Pens.

What does Rangers GM Glen Sather think of a healthy Penguins squad? ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun has the story here.

At a glance: Losers in five of their last six games, the Devils host the league-leading Rangers in the teams' second meeting in eight days. Trailing the Rangers by 14 points in the standings, New Jersey aims to cut the lead following last Monday's 2-0 shutout loss at Madison Square Garden.

Marquee Matchup: Tuesday will be the 34th regular season game in which elite goaltenders Martin Brodeur and Henrik Lundqvist compete head-to-head. Lundqvist holds the edge against Brodeur, posting a 22-6-5 record during that span, with a 1.72 goals against average, .936 save percentage and five shutouts.

On the mend: The Rangers will return their captain Ryan Callahan, who missed the past three games with a bruised right foot. Callahan's Devils' counterpart, Zach Parise, will also play Tuesday, despite a sore left hand. Devils defenseman Andy Greene, who was a late scratch for Sunday’s 1-0 loss to the Islanders after suffering back spasms, is a game-time decision while forward Alexei Ponikarovsky (right knee) will sit out his second straight game.

Warning call: Devils winger David Clarkson received a warning call following his hit against Brandon Dubinsky last Monday. Clarkson left his feet to make contact and received a charging penalty on the play. Clarkson and Dubinsky also received five minutes for fighting after the play. Dainius Zubrus also received a similar call for his elbow on Rangers rookie Carl Hagelin.

Lineup change: Steve Eminger will replace defenseman Anton Stralman in the lineup, playing for the first time since February 21. Struggling since returning from a shoulder injury earlier this season, Eminger has sat six straight. Assuming Callahan plays, John Scott will join Stralman and defenseman Jeff Woywitka as the Rangers’ healthy scratches.

Blanked: The Devils were shut out twice in the span of one week against Atlantic Division foes following the Feb. 27 trade deadline. After being blanked by the Rangers 2-0 just hours after the deadline passed, the Devils were held without a goal by rookie netminder Anders Nilsson Sunday on Long Island.

Late addition: The Devils recalled C Brad Mills from Albany (AHL) just hours before the game. This will be the third stint for Mills, who has one assist and 32 penalty minutes in 27 games for the Devils this season. Fourth-line forward Cam Janssen is the likely scratch.

What it means: With the game tied at 3, second-year center Derek Stepan beat goaltender Tim Thomas with a laser from the left circle at 12:21 of the third to give the Rangers a 4-3 win and 3-0 series edge against the defending Stanley Cup Champs. Marian Gaborik also added a goal -- his 32nd of the season -- in the third period as the Rangers rolled to their fifth straight win against Boston.

Puck problems: The Rangers gave away a two-goal lead with a pair of costly turnovers that allowed the Bruins to tie the game. Anton Stralman coughed up the puck in his own end, a giveaway that led to Benoit Pouliot’s goal at 7:57 of the first. Jordan Caron then intercepted Dan Girardi’s clearing attempt in the second, beating Henrik Lundqvist with a slapshot at the other end to knot the teams at 2 1:40 into play.

Quick start: The Rangers took an early 2-0 lead after a pair of goals in the first 6:15 of play. Moments after their first power-play opportunity expired, defenseman Anton Stralman ripped a wrist shot through traffic to beat Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas at 5:05. Carl Hagelin then banked the puck off Bruin defenseman Greg Zanon for a two-goal lead 1:10 later.

Early exit: Fans at Madison Square Garden were puzzled as both teams left the ice early and headed for their respective dressing rooms with 2:53 remaining in the first period. The premature first intermission was the result of a broken pane of glass that required repair. The glass, cracked by the impact of Brian Rolston’s shot, was fixed during the intermission and the 2:53 was tacked on to the start of the second period.

Three for Cally: Ryan Callahan missed his third straight game with a bruised right foot. The 26-year-old captain sustained the injury after blocking Ilya Kovalchuk’s wrist shot in the Rangers’ 2-0 win against the Devils Monday.

Rough stuff: Sunday’s matinee featured three fights in the first period. Playing in his first NHL game, Boston’s Lane MacDermid dropped the gloves against Rangers heavyweight Mike Rupp. Two seconds after Pouliot’s first-period marker, Brandon Prust gave up 28 pounds to tangle with Milan Lucic at 7:59. Stu Bickel and Gregory Campbell also knuckled up before the conclusion of the first period . The Rangers and Bruins are the top two teams in the league in fighting majors.

Struggling streak: The Bruins have not strung together two straight wins since January 10-12, a 24-game span.

Back in action: Michael Del Zotto returned to the lineup after missing Saturday’s 4-3 OT loss to the Lightning with a sore right hip. The 21-year-old defenseman aggravated a pre-existing injury in the team’s 3-2 win over the Hurricanes Friday. Defenseman Dan Girardi (arm) and winger Ruslan Fedotenko (foot), who both appeared to suffer minor injuries Saturday, also played.

Up Next: Rangers at Devils, Tuesday @ 7 p.m.

What it means: Tampa Bay's Ryan Malone spoiled Henrik Lundqvist's 30th birthday, beating the goaltender in overtime with a snap-shot off the post to give the Lightning a 4-3 OT win over the Rangers. The Bolts erased a two-goal deficit to keep themselves within striking distance of the last playoff spot in the East while halting the Rangers' winning streak at three games.

Dubinsky out doghouse: Before Friday's game, coach John Tortorella made it clear he was still fuming over Brandon Dubinsky’s “stupid” penalty that led to a power-play goal in Thursday’s 3-2 win over the ‘Canes. He told reporters in Tampa that he’d have scratched Dubinsky if his team wasn’t already so hobbled by injuries. It's a good thing he didn't do so.

Although Dubinsky began the game with the fourth line, he earned a promotion to play with Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik and responded by scoring the game-tying goal with 3:27 to play in the third.

Dubinsky was benched Thursday after his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the first period and did not play for the remainder of the game.

Losing the lead: The Rangers let a 2-0 lead dissolve as the Lightning scored three straight goals Friday. League-leading goal-scorer Steven Stamkos sniped his 45th of the season for a 3-2 Bolts lead at 10:17 in the third before Dubinsky knotted the teams at 3 with less than four minutes to play.

Teddy ties it: Lightning forward Teddy Purcell tied the game at 2 at 3:37 in the third period, scoring after a key faceoff win by Bolts alternate captain Martin St. Louis. Purcell extended his point streak to eight games with the goal.

Two down: Already without their captain Ryan Callahan (foot) Thursday night, the Rangers were hit with another key loss with an injury to Michael Del Zotto (hip). Both players sat out Friday’s match and are questionable for Sunday’s game against the Bruins. With Del Zotto out, defenseman Jeff Woywitka played for the first time in over two months. Fellow blue-liner Steve Eminger remained a healthy scratch.

Another for Anisimov: Artem Anisimov scored his second goal in as many games as he gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead in the first. Anismov tallied his 12th of the season with his shot from the left circle at 10:09 that beat Bolts goaltender Mathieu Garon.

Lightning jolt: With his secondary assist on Marian Gaborik’s 31st goal of the season -- a power-play goal that gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead at 2:43 of the second – Brad Richards has three goals and seven assists in seven career games against his former team. Richards won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2004 when he led the Lightning to a Stanley Cup Championship.

At a glance: The Rangers rolled to their third straight win in Carolina and will look to make it four as they wrap up a two-game Southeastern swing Friday in Tampa. New York holds a nine-point lead atop the Eastern Conference standings, but the Bolts are still clinging to their post-season hopes. Tampa enters Friday’s match trailing the 8th place Winnipeg Jets by six points with three games in hand.

Black and Blue-shirts: The Rangers are expected to be without both captain Ryan Callahan and defenseman Michael Del Zotto Friday. Callahan missed his first game of the season Thursday with a bruised foot suffered in the Rangers’ 2-0 win against the Devils Monday. Del Zotto also appears to be unlikely against Tampa Bay; the 21-year-old was forced from the Rangers’ 3-2 win in Carolina after re-aggravating a right hip injury sustained last weekend against Buffalo.

Back in action: With Del Zotto expected to miss Friday’s match against the lightning, defensemen Steve Eminger and Jeff Woywitka are the likely candidates to replace him in the lineup.

Birthday boy: After a strong bounce-back performance by backup goaltender Martin Biron Thursday, starter Henrik Lundqvist will be back between the pipes for the Rangers. Aiming to record his 31st win of the season on his 30th birthday, Lundqvist will face the NHL’s top goal-scorer Steven Stamkos.

Closing in on 50: With a league-leading 44 goals and counting, Stamkos is on pace to eclipse his career-best 51-goal mark, set in 2009-10. The former first overall pick also has a whopping 14 points – six goals, eight assists -- in the last seven games.

What it means: The Rangers conclude their 11th back-to-back set of the season tonight against the Bolts and have lost only once in regulation in the second game of consecutive-night outings.

Recap | Box score | Photos

What it means: Carolina's Jay Harrison scored with less than a minute left to whittle the Rangers' lead to one goal, but New York held on for their third straight victory with a 3-2 win over the Hurricanes in Carolina. The Rangers' top line combined for a pair of goals while backup goaltender Martin Biron made 21 stops to record his first win since February 9 as the Rangers retained their comfortable nine-point lead in the Eastern Conference standings. Already without captain Ryan Callahan for the first time this season, the Rangers suffered another concerning loss, however. Defenseman Michael Del Zotto was forced from the game with a hip injury and did not return.

Top line takes care: Trailing 1-0 in the second period, the Rangers’ top line chipped in for two straight goals. Marian Gaborik picked up a helper on Artem Anisimov’s wrister from the left circle at 8:21 and tallied his 30th of the season later in the frame for a 2-1 edge heading into the third. Derek Stepan also finished with a plus-2 rating and two assists.

Del Zotto hurt: Defenseman Michael Del Zotto left the game with a hip injury and did not return. Del Zotto suffered a bruised hip in the team's 3-2 OT win against Buffalo Saturday but did not miss any action; he appeared to re-aggravate the injury after taking a hit from Canes defenseman Derek Joslin Thursday and did not play for the entire third period.

Dubinsky benched: Brandon Dubinsky, whose name surfaced in trade rumors earlier this week, was benched after taking an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in the first period that led to Carolina’s first goal. Dubinsky did not play for the remainder of the game after Jeff Skinner gave the Canes a 1-0 lead with his power-play tally 58 seconds into the second period.

30 for Gaborik: Gaborik’s second-period goal marked his 7th NHL season with 30 goals or more and second in three years with the New York Rangers. The 30-year-old sniper, who leads the team with 55 points, matched his career-high 42 goal mark in his first season on Broadway in 2009-10.

Battle of the brothers: In the first meeting of brothers Marc Staal and Eric Staal since the fateful hit that sidelined the former for ten months with post-concussion symptoms, Marc got the best of the sibling rivalry as the Rangers left with the win. Eric finished with two assists, extending his point streak to ten games.

Missing their captain: The 26-year-old captain missed his first of 62 games this season with a bruised right foot suffered in the team’s 2-0 win against New Jersey Monday. Callahan told reporters in Carolina that all x-rays taken after Monday’s game came back negative, although it appears unlikely he’ll return Friday against Tampa.

Ouch: Canes assistant coach John MacLean left the bench briefly during the second period after taking a puck to the head. The ex-Ranger and former Devils coach returned minutes later, however, and appeared to be okay.

Up Next: Rangers at Lightning, Thursday @ 7:30 p.m.

The closest thing to a hockey holiday has arrived, folks.

The NHL's annual trade deadline is Monday at 3 p.m. and I'll be reporting live from ESPN headquarters in Bristol, CT all day. Make sure to follow the ESPN Hockey crew's live chat (starting at 9 a.m.) for all the buzz throughout the day.

NHL TRADE DEADLINE LIVE CHAT

Local storylines to watch:

-- As ESPNNewYork.com reported Sunday, the Rangers appear to be out on the Rick Nash sweepstakes. Barring a drastic change, a deal to bring the Blue Jackets captain to New York appears unlikely.

--Islanders goaltender Evgeni Nabokov is garnering plenty of interest, but GM Garth Snow told ESPNNewYork.com Sunday the he is "not looking" to move him. Talks between Nabokov's camp regarding a contract extension are expected to continue MOnday.

-- Are the Devils done? GM Lou Lamoriello got a head start on Monday's deadline, trading for veteran defenseman Marek Zidlicky Friday. Zidlicky made his debut in the Devils 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay Sunday; could there be any new additions in Monday's lineup when the Rangers host the Devils at Madison Square Garden?

Devils @ Rangers at 6 p.m. ESPNNewYork.com's Mike Mazzeo will be there for all the game-day action...

Also, you can follow each transaction with ESPN NHL's Trade Tracker here.

As of Sunday night, the New York Rangers appear to be out of the running for Columbus Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash.

Barring a drastic change, a deal to bring the prized winger to New York does looks unlikely, a source told ESPNNewYork.com

The Rangers were believed to be the front-runners for the former No. 1 pick whose availability has dominated trade talks in the days leading up to the deadline, but New York does not appear to be willing to concede to Columbus' demands.

Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson's asking price for the franchise player is reportedly significant; according to multiple reports he is asking for a roster player, top prospect and a first-round pick, if not more.

Howson's trading partners, however, are slim. The Rangers are among a few teams on Nash's approved list of clubs to which he'd waive his no-movement clause and accept a trade. San Jose and Toronto have also talked to Howson this week.

In the first statement from Nash's camp since his availability surfaced, that list will not expand should Howson wait until the draft to make a deal.

"If a deal is not reached, then the list of acceptable teams will not change at a later date," Nash's agent Joe Resnick told TSN Saturday.

Resnick made it clear his client wanted to see a deal completed before Monday's 3 p.m. ET deadline.

"We're hopeful a deal can get done prior to the trade deadline that is fair and equitable to the Blue Jackets," Resnick said.