It has been no secret that the New York Rangers are looking for defenseman as the trade deadline nears. Two weeks ago, they put in a waiver claim for veteran Roman Hamrlik, who really hasn’t panned out in his first few games as a Blueshirt.

With the timetable for Marc Staal’s injury still relatively unknown, don’t be surprised to see the Rangers make a move to add another defenseman.

As of now, they are one of many teams interested in Andrej Sustr. Sustr is a 6’8″, 210-pound right-handed defenseman currently in the NCAA. He’s a junior at Omaha-Nebraska and is expected to leave college for the NHL now that his team is finished for the season.

The 22-year-old had nine goals and 16 assists in 39 games this season, and the Rangers are considered one of the favorites to land him as he attended the team’s rookie evaluation camp in 2011.

He’s also skated in development camps for both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning, and he will be highly courted. Although he may not be ready for primetime just yet, the Rangers are really seeking depth along the blue line.

The team currently has 49 players signed to contracts, so unless a trade is made to remove one, Sustr, if signed, would be the 50th contract on the Rangers, which is the league maximum.

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Another college name to look for is Danny Dekeyser of Western Michigan University. If the defenseman decides to turn pro, the Rangers will be in play for his services as well. Though, the Detroit Red Wings are the early favorite for the man that scored two goals and had 13 assists in 35 games.

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