Nobody has been described as more desperate to make a deal than the New York Rangers.

The club is on a nine-game homestand and has only one victory in seven games and that could mean a trade not long after the roster freeze is lifted at 12:01 a.m., Dec. 28.

League executives say Rangers GM Glen Sather has been working the phones trying to move several players — including blueliners Michael Del Zotto and Dan Girardi — in an attempt to try get his struggling club on track.

While Del Zotto has been the one the club has shopped heavily, the Rangers also need to sign Girardi, a UFA on July 1, so they may be starting to see what they can get in case they can’t sign him.

The Senators have shown interest in Del Zotto because GM Bryan Murray would like to get a puck-mover. But he has give up at least one or two contracts because he can’t take on more cash, which means either Patrick Wiercioch or Eric Gryba could be part of any deal.

The issue with Del Zotto is he has struggled big time and several scouts have returned to their GMs with scouting reports that are less than positive.

Apparently, the Rangers are willing to talk about anybody on their roster with the exception of Rick Nash, Henrik Lundqvist and Chris Kreider. Missing the playoffs after firing coach John Tortorella would be downright embarrassing.

Sather won’t sit back and, after the holidays, there are a few players who could get new destinations.

OFF THE GLASS

Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has been trying to get a goalie. A nice fit for him could be Carolina’s Justin Peters. The Jackets have to do something. They can’t get the job done with Sergei Bobrovsky hurt and are having trouble getting into a playoff position. More is expected of Columbus this season and you’d have to think coach Todd Richards is on thin ice. Firing the coach is a card Kekalainen hasn’t played ... Toronto GM Dave Nonis, trying to find a centre with his club in a freefall, may have shown interest in Edmonton’s Sam Gagner. He’d be a nice fit, but has two years left with a cap hit of $4.8 million. Gagner has a 4-18-12 stats line in 24 games this season, but is minus-16. The Devils may have placed a call here, as well ... Sabres president Pat LaFontaine is inching closer to naming his replacement for Darcy Regier. Boston assistant GM Jim Benning is the top candidate ... If any team wants forwards Mikael Backlund, Sven Baertschi, Mike Cammalleri or Lee Stempniak, give the Flames a call once the holidays are over, or just wait for Brian Burke to hire a GM.

THIS ’N’ THAT

The talk is Kings GM Dean Lombardi has forward depth he’d like to deal. The club does have UFA centres Trevor Lewis and Colin Fraser and winger Daniel Carcillo ... The Wings have been quietly trying to bring in a top-end defenceman. Let’s face it, they haven’t had one since Nicklas Lidstrom retired and the club is going through its share of struggles. A guy the Wings may have sniffed around is Canucks’ Alex Edler, but he’s in the second year of a long-term deal and isn’t going anywhere ... Back to the Flames, Burke plans to make a short list of three to six candidates for the club’s vacant GM job. Many believe Toronto assistant GMs Dave Poulin and Claude Loiselle will be among the names on that list, along with Vancouver assistant Laurence Gilman. The status of former Dallas GM Joe Nieuwendyk is unclear. There is talk he’s not interested in moving out of the Lone Star State, but I’ve been told he hasn’t heard from Burke since word leaked that the club had permission to speak with him.

RUMOURS DU JOUR

Given the amount of talking he’s doing, Carolina GM Jim Rutherford will be busy at some point. He is trying to move Peters, partially because nobody would want to touch Cam Ward’s contract — two years left with a cap hit of $6.3 million per-season, though he is still one of the league’s top goalies. The talk is the Leafs are trying to sweeten the pot to acquire defenceman Tim Gleason in exchange for John-Michael Liles. For that deal to happen, it will have to get bigger because Gleason for Liles straight-up would be embarrassing for the Hurricanes ... As the Devils try to get back into the playoff picture in the East, the always-quiet Lou Lamoriello has been working the phones, trying to upgrade the club’s scoring. The retirement of Ilya Kovalchuk has left 41-year-old Jaromir Jagr as the club’s leading scorer. New Jersey has never put the puck in the net easily and the club is getting the goaltending it needs. A little more scoring help might help the Devils get past some of those teams that are currently slumping ... Avs GM Joe Sakic is ready wheel and deal. There have been no contract talks with centre Paul Stastny, a prime target with his UFA status on July 1 ... Montreal GM Marc Bergevin is trying to find a finisher and has been for a while.

The column will return Jan. 5. Have a safe and happy holiday season. Thanks for reading.

Twitter: @sungarrioch