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Wojtek Wolski never quite worked out for the New York Rangers.

He was acquired from the Phoenix Coyotes in early January, 2011 in a trade for former Rangers defenseman Michal Rozsival—a player many Rangers fans thought General Manager Glen Sather could never dump thanks to his four-year, $20 million contract.



Wolski missed nearly the entire first half of this season with a sports-hernia injury requiring surgery. He was ready to come back into the Rangers roster by the new year, but with the Rangers doing so well, head coach John Tortorella said there was no spot for Wolski in the lineup.



What complicates the situation for Wolski is that once he returned to the lineup, he still remained a healthy scratch.

Wolski got a break with a couple opportunities to play when Brandon Dubinsky suffered a minor shoulder injury, but that window of opportunity is closed barring any other injuries to the Rangers offensive lines.



Also take note: Unlike Erik Christensen, who willingly accepted a two-week AHL conditioning stint with the Hartford Whale, Wolski never accepted—or declined—a similar deal.

Tortorella has been adamant that anyone who isn't in the lineup needs to play, and says the Whale are "right down the street."



Wolski has denied that he needs any further conditioning to his game, and it seems pretty clear that he wants out of New York and onto an active roster.



To complicate Wolski's situation a little more, Tortorella has also said that Wolski "needs to stay here (with the New York Rangers) now" due to recent minor injuries on the offensive lines.



It's hard to stay game-ready if you're not playing, and Wolski seems to grow more frustrated as the weeks go by.



Wolski is a restricted free agent in his final year of a two-year, $7.6 million contract.