In the 11 days between rejoining the Rangers on Jan. 8 from the World Junior Tournament and then being assigned to Hartford for a two-week AHL conditioning period on Jan. 19, Manny Malhotra was an obviously frustrated teenager.
As a 19-year-old sophomore, getting four minutes a night – when not a healthy scratch – had gotten old. He had through no fault of his own become caught in the middle of a perceived power struggle between the Ranger coaching staff and the team’s front office.
Now, however, having rejoined the Rangers last night after playing what he estimates between 15-20 minutes per in his eight games with the Wolf Pack, Malhotra appears at relative peace with his situation.
“I realize that in the past month or so there’s been a transformation of the team, we’re playing much better and have been winning games, so there aren’t going to be a lot of adjustments made just to accommodate me,” Malhotra said before last night’s Garden match against the Devils. “I’ve come back with the mindset that whether I get three or four minutes a game or 10-to-15, I’ll accept that and prepare myself to help the team.
“I understand that I just have to be ready to play when I’m given the opportunity.”
Malhotra is clearly the fifth center on the Ranger depth chart behind Petr Nedved, Mike York, Alexandre Daigle and Tim Taylor. As the team is currently constituted, it’s difficult to imagine him playing at all if the other four pivots are healthy. He could very well be a scratch far more often than not.
“I won’t be happy with that situation if it arises,” Malhotra said, “but, again, my mindset is to help the team in any way possible.”
Taylor, suffering from the flu, was not expected to play last night though he intended to give it a try during the pre-game warmup. Therefore, Malhotra was both expected to and expecting to play against the Devils.
“I was told this morning that I’d be in,” he said.
Malhotra, who registered one goal and three assists with Hartford – his first goal of the season, counting nine Ranger exhibition games, 25 NHL regular-season games and seven games with the Canadian Junior Nats – met with John Muckler yesterday morning.
“He just told me that it was going to be hard to find a regular spot for me and to stay positive,” Malhotra said.
Last week, MSG president Dave Checketts seemed to leave the possibility open that Malhotra might be returned to his Guelph junior team. GM Neil Smith on Friday told The Post that was not at all the plan.
“I’m not at all thinking about Guelph,” Smith said then. “I can’t imagine sending him back.”
Malhotra last night said he couldn’t imagine it, either; certainly couldn’t imagine such an assignment being advantageous to his development.
“I wouldn’t be too happy with it,” he said. “I’m not shooting down Major Junior Hockey, but going back would be a step in the wrong direction.
“I don’t think it would be very beneficial to go back and play junior hockey.”
A year ago, the Rangers refused to add Malhotra to a package that might have landed Pavel Bure from Vancouver. Two weeks ago, the Rangers were quite willing to deal Malhotra in order to get Keith Tkachuk from Phoenix.
“I understand that I’m going to hear my name in trade rumors throughout my career,” he said. “Hearing all the recent rumors [about Tkachuk], you definitely weigh the positives and negatives. As far as I’m concerned, the positives of skating in New York definitely outweigh the negatives.
“Without a doubt I want to be a Ranger. I want to be here for a long time.”