AROUND THE NHL

Bryan Berard, who nearly lost his right eye when he was hit by a stick a year and a half ago, appears ready to resume his NHL career with the New York Rangers.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Thursday that the 24-year-old defenseman had rejected their offer to resume his career with them. Berard was playing for the Leafs at the time of his injury.

Berard is expected to sign a four-year, $12-million deal with the Rangers once the paperwork with his insurance company is in order. That won’t happen before today.

Berard, who had 30 points in 64 games during the 1999-2000 season, is an unrestricted free agent because the Leafs didn’t give him a qualifying offer this summer. They thought he was retired.