NHL

Frugal Rangers want Moore

The Rangers won’t make a splash when the free-agent market opens at noon. The limited amount of cap space available simply doesn’t allow for the big-market team to be in play for the big boys.

Of course, given history in the form of Wade Redden, Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Bobby Holik, Alexander Frolov, Patrick Rissmiller and Ales Kotalik, to name but a few, perhaps the constraints on general manager Glen Sather are every bit as much a blessing as a curse.

Still, the Blueshirts do need to produce a ripple in the pool, even if not necessarily today. The roster isn’t deep enough and the prospects aren’t sure enough to enter the lengthy season-opening trip without cost-effective reinforcements to fill lineup holes that will be created by the absences of Ryan Callahan and Carl Hagelin, who are both recovering from offseason shoulder surgeries.

The Post has learned the Rangers have held discussions with fourth-line, checking-oriented center Dominic Moore, who is pondering a return to the league after sitting out last season after the death of his wife, Katie, who lost her two-year fight against a rare form of liver cancer on Jan. 7.

A source has confirmed Moore, who will turn 33 next month, had spoken extensively with the Rangers last year before the lockout and likely would have signed with the club if his wife’s medical condition had allowed.

Moore, who began his career with the Blueshirts in 2005-06 as the center of the HMO Line between Ryan Hollweg and Jed Ortmeyer, earned an average of $1.1 million his last three seasons. That’s a number the Blueshirts can accommodate.

Signing Moore would allow the Rangers to move Brian Boyle, whose $1.7 million cap hit is a bit pricey for a fourth-line center under prevailing conditions, to the wing to at least start the season — or out of town as part of a trade.

If the Rangers pass on Moore, the club could have interest in fourth-line center Maxim Lapierre, who filled the role as the defensive faceoff specialist in Vancouver last year for coach Alain Vigneault after Manny Malhotra went on long-term injury reserve with an eye injury.

The 28-year-old Lapierre is coming off a two-year deal under which he carried a $1 million cap hit.

On Wednesday, Sather spoke about wanting to leave roster spots open for the Rangers’ prospects. But there is a difference between giving an opportunity to kids such as Danny Kristo, Marek Hrivik, Oscar Lindberg and Jesper Fast — not to mention Chris Kreider and J.T. Miller — and guaranteeing them roster spots they may not earn.

The Rangers could use depth on defense as well, though they seem to be prepared to enter the season with the current seven-man group consisting of Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh (presuming he is re-signed), Marc Staal (believed recovering well from his eye injury), Anton Stralman, Michael Del Zotto, John Moore and Justin Falk.

* The Rangers yesterday placed Darroll Powe ($1.067 million cap hit) and Arron Asham ($1 million) on waivers. Unless claimed (extremely unlikely), this will have no impact on the club’s cap space for the summer. If they are sent to the AHL Wolf Pack at the start of the season, Powe’s cap charge will become $142,000 while Asham’s will be $75,000.