There is apparently always a market for Wojtek Wolski, the 26th overall selection in the 2004 Entry Draft who has now been traded three times in 24 months with diminishing returns, first from Colorado to Phoenix (for Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter) in March 2010, then from Phoenix to the Rangers (for Michal Rozsival) in January 2011 and yesterday to the Panthers.
The Rangers acquired a third-round draft pick in 2013 plus 25-year-old AHL defenseman Mike Vernace in shedding the remaining pro-rated portion of the winger’s $3.8 million cap hit.
Wolski, who is eligible to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season with a $4 million qualifying offer necessary to retain his rights, recorded three points (all assists) in nine games this season for the Rangers, dressing for just three games after coming off injured reserve on Jan. 6 following November surgery to correct a sports hernia.
Tortorella spoke with approval about Wolski last night following the trade, but the enduring memory of the coach’s opinion of the winger is his “Can’t get him out of the tub” remark following an Oct. 19 practice in Vancouver during which Wolski, who had been sidelined with a suspected groin issue, had participated.
“I think it’s a good deal all around,” Tortorella said. “It gives him the opportunity to get his career on track.”
Wolski clearly did not fit into Tortorella’s vision of what a Ranger should be — namely, one who gets involved physically on every shift — but the coach only had praise for the winger after he was out the door.
“He tried to do all the things we asked of him to get back in the lineup,” said Tortorella, who recently moved defenseman Stu Bickel up to forward when Ruslan Fedotenko was sidelined for six games rather than use Wolski in that spot. “He’s a good guy. I wish the best for him.”
*
Justice was served when it was Buffalo bully Patrick Kaleta whom Ryan Callahan beat one-on-one before then beating goaltender Ryan Miller for the winner at 2:59 of overtime in the Rangers’ 3-2 victory over the Sabres at Madison Square Garden.
Kaleta, the pugilist who dropped to his knees as the last man back before the captain slipped the puck by him after being set up by Ryan McDonagh, had spent the evening targeting smaller pacifists such as Carl Hagelin and Michael Del Zotto.
Indeed, Kaleta, who once broke Paul Mara’s face with a blind-side hit into the glass in Buffalo and has had more than his share of scrapes with the law, drove Del Zotto into the goal post at 8:20 of the third after the defenseman had checked Nathan Gerbe behind Henrik Lundqvist’s net.
Del Zotto, who earlier in the period had made a gorgeous offensive-zone diagonal feed to spring Marian Gaborik for the 2-2 tying goal, suffered a bruised right hip that limited him to two brief shifts over the final 11:39 of the third (one even-strength, one power play) and kept him on the bench in overtime.
The Rangers said Del Zotto would be fine for tomorrow night’s match against the Devils.
*
Callahan’s goal was the 100th of his NHL career and 24th of the year, representing a personal best for the captain, who is in his fifth season.
The goal by Gaborik, who also scored on a backhand breakaway Friday night against Evgeni Nabokov, was his club-leading 29th.
“Michael has such good vision,” said Gaborik, who cut across from the left circle to beat Miller after Del Zotto fed him after gaining the zone with speed down the right side. “I know he can make the play if I get open.”
The goal by Gaborik, who started the rink-length rush by collecting a loose puck behind his own net, came at 5:32 of the third period, just under five minutes after Buffalo grabbed a 2-1 lead on Drew Stafford’s power play goal at 0:44.
“That was a really important goal by Gabby, so we didn’t get lulled in or allow Buffalo to really set their trap with the lead,” Callahan said. “But Gabby has been finishing those all year.”
*
Henrik Lundqvist has gone 11 straight games allowing two goals or fewer. The King, who faced 20 shots last night, has a 1.35 goals against average and .948 save percentage in that stretch that includes three shutouts, one game in which he allowed one goal and seven games in which he allowed two.
*
Tortorella flipped Derek Stepan and John Mitchell for a few shifts in the third period, Stepan dropped to the fourth line and Mitchell elevated to the first.
“Step was struggling, was just a step late,” the coach said. “One thing though, I’m always going to go back to him.”
*
The Rangers did not place Sean Avery on re-entry waivers yesterday, effectively eliminating the exiled winger’s chance of returning to the NHL this year. Avery will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
larry.brooks@nypost.com