RALEIGH – Until Glen Sather lowers his asking price or another GM is willing to meet it between now and the Feb. 26 trade deadline, Marek Malik remains a Ranger.
The Post has learned Sather is indeed shopping the 32-year-old defenseman who was banished from the team on Thursday by Tom Renney but reinstated for yesterday’s practice at the club’s training center following a meeting on Sunday with the head coach. The Blueshirts open a four-game road trip here tonight against the Hurricanes.
Sather, we’re told, is demanding the equivalent of a top-four defenseman in return for Malik, who carries a cap charge of approximately $950,000 the remainder of the way for this, the final season of his contract.
While there is widespread interest around the league in Malik, no GM has been willing to meet Sather’s requirement for making a deal.
Malik was sent home and scratched from Thursday’s 2-1 victory over the Thrashers after refusing to accept Renney’s handshake in the post-game locker room following Tuesday’s 4-0 victory over Atlanta. Malik did seek to apologize to the head coach Thursday prior to the morning skate, but we’re told Renney believed the apology was at least one day late.
“I’m sorry that what happened got into the newspapers because I believe what happens in the locker room should stay in the locker room, but there was nothing personal meant to the team, the coach or the organization,” Malik said. “It was my personal statement about how I’ve been treated it, but there was no disrespect meant for anybody.”
Malik was immediately confronted and chastised by a small group of players who noticed what had happened on Tuesday. The defenseman addressed the club before yesterday’s practice.
“I have no problem at all with ‘Harry’ or with what happened,” said Sean Avery, using the nickname by which Malik is known to his teammates. “I personally like guys who are emotional.
“If a player believes he’s being treated unfairly, I think it’s good for him to get ticked off. It’s not an issue here.”
Malik, who combined with Michal Rozsival to form the Rangers’ top defensive pair the last two years, has slid down the depth chart after sustaining hip and back injuries that sidelined him for 13 November games. Malik has been a healthy scratch in five of the last 10 games and 11 of the last 23 beginning Dec. 7, even though he is a plus-four over his last 11 games and a plus-one overall.
“He is an important player for us,” said Renney, who did not commit on whether Malik would play tonight and who was mum regarding the incident. “If he’s playing well, he’ll be a huge help.”
Malik has had five plus games, five even games and one minus game over his last 11 contests, and is plus-one on the season, a rating exceeded on defense by only Marc Staal (plus six) and Paul Mara (plus two). Those numbers to a degree are skewed by match-ups. Still, Malik has hardly been a disaster.
“Obviously I’m not happy about what’s happened this season, but I’m going to do my best when I get the chance to play and I’ll work hard and do my best to get back into the lineup if I don’t play,” Malik said. “I’ll do my best here as long as I’m a Ranger, whether that’s until I retire or I’m traded.”