[EmpireWF]

Hopefully, he'll be the key defenseman the Rangers have lacked this season. Here's the story from MSGNetwork.com.

All they gave up was a 3rd round pick, the one they acquired yesterday btw.

The Rangers acquired defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh from the Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Thursday for a third-round pick obtained a day earlier in a separate trade.

Ozolinsh has two goals - both game-winners - in four games since rejoining the Ducks following a six-week stint in the NHL's substance abuse program. The seven-time All-Star was reinstated last month just in time to play for Latvia in the Turin Olympics.

He had one goal and three assists - including two in Latvia's surprising 3-3 tie with the United States - in five games during the Olympics.

The 33-year-old Ozolinsh voluntarily entered the substance abuse program in late December after being sidelined in November by a knee injury.

He has three goals and three assists in 17 games this season.

All New York had to give up to the Mighty Ducks was the third-round pick received Wednesday from San Jose in the deal that sent forward Ville Nieminen to the Sharks.

Ozolinsh, who won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996, played parts of three seasons with Anaheim after short stays with Carolina and Florida.

He scored a career-best 26 goals with San Jose in the 1993-94 season, his first full year in the NHL, and had 23 goals and a career-high 68 points in 1996-97 with Colorado.

Ozolinsh has reached double figures in goals seven times in 13 NHL seasons. In 796 career games, he has 161 goals and 370 assists.

The deal was the third completed by the Ducks before Thursday's NHL trade deadline.

Anaheim sent forward Joel Perreault in Phoenix for defenseman Sean O'Donnell, and acquired left winger Jeff Friesen for a second-round draft pick.

It was the second time the Mighty Ducks picked up Friesen at the trade deadline. He was sent to Anaheim by San Jose in 2001 in the deal that shipped Teemu Selanne to the Sharks.

[boo]

veteran, puck carrying defenseman...i like it

[Lefty Noob]

A 7-time All-Star defenseman like Ozolinsh for a 3rd round pick? Aw, man, that's a sweet deal. He'll really help New York as they head into the playoffs. Excellent pickup for the Rangers.