Here are today’s news and links:

Rangers News:

• Larry Brooks relays word that Kaapo Kaako will skate on New York’s top powerplay unit against the Blue Jackets tonight (NY Post)
• Brooks also heard that the team plans on making Artemiy Panarin’s return to Columbus a special one (NY Post)
• Anthony Riber hears from Panarin himself about his return to the city he’d spent half of his NHL career prior to signing with the Rangers (Newsday)
• Vincent Mercogliano updates us with all of the line changes at from yesterday’s practice session (LoHud)
• Steve Paulus highlights the Eastern Conference’s mushy middle as a reason for optimism regarding the Blueshirts’ playoff hopes (Blue Line Station)
• Frank Curto thinks that the team’s lopsided loss against Vegas exposed some fatal flaws (Elite Sports NY)
• Sean Treppedi argues that Brendan Lemieux has emerged as Sean Avery’s long awaited successor on Broadway (Empire Writes Back)
• Micheal Obernauer discusses how tonight’s game in the Buckeye State will be anything but ordinary (Official Team Site)
• Media Availability: David Quinn (6:55) (Official Team Site)/

Around the NHL:

• Elliotte Friedman authors another edition of 31 Thoughts (Sportsnet)
• James O’Brien details why the Tampa Bay Lightning’s upcoming sate of games could tell the tale of their season (NBC Sports)
• Derek Gagnon reports that the Winnipeg Jets have claimed forward Nick Shore off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs, and assigned forward Michael Spacek to AHL Manitoba (Arctic Ice Hockey)
• Ken Campbell ponders if Mike Babcock will ever get another shot coaching in the NHL again (The Hockey News)/