January 25, 2007 -- That the Rangers placed Darius Kasparaitis on waivers yesterday isn't at all surprising, but the way they went about the process most certainly is.
For one would think that a franchise that reflexively defers to Sandis Ozolinsh (or maybe the deference in this case is paid to agent Paul Theofanous, who curiously has helped himself to a seat beside GM Glen Sather in the Meadowlands press box during each of the Blueshirts' last two visits to New Jersey) would at least have had the common courtesy to inform Kasparaitis of the decision either directly or through his representative.
But that was not the case. Indeed, Mark Gandler, who represents the 14-year NHL veteran, first learned of the move when contacted by phone by The Post shortly after 1 p.m. yesterday, an hour after the 34-year-old defenseman had officially been placed on waivers. Gandler, in Dallas for the All-Star Game, said that he had chatted with Sather on Tuesday but that the topic had not been discussed.
Kasparaitis, with whom coach Tom Renney has had issues since the opening of training camp, is available for claim until noon. When he clears, he will be assigned to the AHL Wolf Pack, thus opening a roster spot the Rangers are likely to fill with 22-year-old defenseman Daniel Girardi. It is not clear whether a move involving forwards will take place prior to Saturday's game in Philadelphia.
Gandler told The Post that he believes there is more than one team that would be willing to claim Kasparaitis on re-entry waivers, but there is no indication the Rangers are willing to go that route. For if another team were to claim Kasparaitis on re-entry, the Rangers would not only then be cap-charged half the remainder of the $2.989M Kasparaitis is owed this year, but would be forced to carry $1.495M of dead cap space against his contract next season.
If the Rangers buy out Kasparaitis over the summer, they will be charged just under $500,000 against the cap for each of the next two seasons. His contract will not count against the cap once he clears waivers.
Kasparaitis had been scratched for the last three games. Renney, who stripped Kasparaitis of his "A" when the defenseman reported to camp in sub-par physical condition following two summer surgeries, wondered aloud whether Kasparaitis could be a constructive force as the team's seventh defenseman.
"I don't think I was playing bad, but there is nothing I can say or do except to do what they tell me," Kasparaitis, who was plus-two in his previous 14 games, told The Post on Saturday. "I don't have any leverage."
And in essentially ending Kasparaitis' career on Broadway, if not in the NHL - 24 games this year, 215 with the Blueshirts since signing a six-year free agent deal in 2002, 863 in the league since his 1992-93 rookie season with the Islanders - the generally classic Rangers sure didn't show him much in the way of respect.
