Two-time Selke Trophy winner Mike Peca is two of three steps closer to joining the Rangers, and the final item, finishing up contract negotiations, could be completed as early as today.
The 33-year-old checking center is believed to have undergone a Rangers-requested physical, and was scheduled to meet with Rangers coach Tom Renney to discuss his potential role with the team.
Once both those points are completed to the satisfaction of both sides, contract negotiations for the unrestricted free agent are expected to resume, likely today.
Playing for the Maple Leafs, Peca suffered a massive leg fracture last December that required surgical insertion of plates and pins, but is expected to receive a satisfactory bill of health.
Peca has been captain of the Sabres and Islanders, and would bring additional leadership to a team already chock full of chiefs. His game always has been one of grit and effort that accentuate considerable skills, and he can provide a significant offensive dimension for counter-attack opportunities.
The lone concern about Peca is his vulnerability to injury, a result of playing with abandon, and bigger than he is, listed at a generous 5-11, 190. He was drafted by Vancouver in 1992, and played for Buffalo, the Islanders and Edmonton, as well as the Leafs.