Last Shopping Day for General Managers

Today is the NHL’s equivalent of Christmas Eve: there’s one shopping day left before Wednesday’s trading deadline, and visions of rugged defensemen are dancing through general managers’ heads.

Speaking of heads, it’s impossible to fathom what was going through Cliff Fletcher’s when the Toronto general manager traded Kenny Jonsson, junior forward Sean Haggerty, center Darby Hendrickson and a 1997 first-round pick to the New York Islanders for Wendel Clark and Mathieu Schneider. Fletcher’s habit of trading kids for veterans got his team into a 3-17-4 slide, which ended last week thanks only to a steady diet of bumbling Western Conference opponents, such as Winnipeg and Dallas.

Clark is a fan favorite, but his battered body can’t have much left. Young, two-way defensemen such as Jonsson are rare, too valuable to give up for a possible short-term fix. If Clark is so great, why did Fletcher deal him to Quebec two years ago? Fletcher was wrong to trade him then and just as wrong to reacquire him now.

The move also destroys what was left of Fletcher’s credibility. First, he said he wouldn’t fire his coach, Pat Burns, and did. Then he said he wouldn’t trade Jonsson, and did. Fletcher has lived off the success of the Doug Gilmour trade, but his subsequent moves have been questionable. His acquisition of Kirk Muller hasn’t done much to help the Leafs’ offense and their defense remains suspect.

Toronto is still three games below .500 and has lost home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs--if it holds onto a playoff spot.

Clark will have to be a huge success for the ledger to be balanced.

IN A NEW YORK MINUTE

The New York Rangers might have become thin at center when they traded Ray Ferraro, Ian Laperriere and Nathan LaFayette to the Kings, but their top priority was toughness. Happy to be with a contender, Marty McSorley and Shane Churla should provide muscle the Rangers lacked when the Philadelphia Flyers eliminated them from last year’s playoffs. Jari Kurri, who may play some at center, will improve their defensive play at a time defense is vital.

“It takes a different mix to be successful in the playoffs than in the regular season,” Ranger General Manager Neil Smith said. “This summer, we’re going to have to change it a little bit, but I have no doubt we’re a better playoff team with this formula than we were two weeks ago.”

Said Churla, who asked the Kings to trade him after they had traded Wayne Gretzky: “I said I wanted to go someplace, but I didn’t think I’d hit the lottery.”

Smith said his farm system is deep enough to replace what was lost, and his track record is good. But he may regret trading defenseman Mattias Norstrom, whose only sin was being young. Coach Colin Campbell, under intense pressure to win, wouldn’t give Norstrom a chance over veteran Kevin Lowe.

The Rangers’ biggest question is their goaltending. Mike Richter, bothered by groin injuries since Dec. 30, was Glenn Healy’s backup Saturday and may start tonight against Edmonton. Smith said he’s confident Healy can carry the team if Richter gets hurt again, but he must be nervous.

FURIOUS FLYERS

Flyer General Manager Bob Clarke was upset after the Ranger-King trade because he wanted McSorley and dreads facing a tougher Ranger team in the playoffs.

Until the Flyers stomped on Winnipeg and San Jose last weekend, they hadn’t shown much muscle--or anything else. Their power play was two for 44 over nine games before going three for three against San Jose, and they’re still missing winger Mikael Renberg, whose comeback from abdominal and pelvic muscle problems lasted only two games.

Clarke made a good move in getting Dale Hawerchuk from St. Louis for Craig MacTavish, and in getting the Blues to pay part of Hawerchuk’s salary. He’s earning $2.6 million this season and has two years left at a total of $4.9 million. Clarke still has options, such as trading defenseman Chris Therien. He would like Edmonton’s Bryan Marchment, but so would half a dozen other teams.

SLAP SHOTS

McSorley, whose illegal stick cost the Kings Game 2 of the 1993 Stanley Cup finals, can’t buy a break in Montreal. He made his Ranger debut there Saturday with Kerry Fraser as the referee. The same Kerry Fraser who worked that fateful Cup game. McSorley fell in the first period and took a bad penalty. . . . The Buffalo Sabres, whose 1-7-1 slump has ended their playoff hopes, sent General Manager John Muckler and four scouts to Vancouver’s game at Toronto Sunday, fueling rumors that the Canucks are making a big pitch for Sabre center Pat LaFontaine.

Winger Ray Sheppard may help Florida’s offense, but he’s poison defensively. These are desperate times for the Panthers, who are 1-7-2 since Feb. 24. . . . The New Jersey Devils made a win-it-now move in getting veteran winger Dave Andreychuk from Toronto, but at the minimal price of a second-round draft pick in 1996 and either a fourth-rounder in 1998 or a third-rounder in 1999. Andreychuk is limited, but deadly on the power play, something the Devils lacked. The defending Stanley Cup champions are 13-4-7 since the All-Star break.

The Rangers filed tampering charges against the St. Louis Blues because of remarks attributed to Blues’ President Jack Quinn in the Sporting News after the Gretzky trade. Quinn detailed offers the Rangers and other teams had supposedly made for Gretzky and also said the Blues feared the Rangers “might be back in the picture, that they had decided not to re-sign Jeff Beukeboom and they’d use that money to sign Gretzky.” The Rangers contend the second comment affected their contract talks with Beukeboom. The NHL will decide whether to act.

Mark Cooper of Manalapan, N.J., spent about $75,000 at an auction of Montreal Forum memorabilia, including $31,000 for the Canadiens’ 1923-24 Stanley Cup banner. Proceeds went to charity and the Canadiens’ alumni association.