Rangers Deal Slumping Star Gaborik to Blue Jackets This season wasn't much fun in New York for slumping forward Marian Gaborik. He wasn't scoring goals the way he was used to, and he and his Rangers teammates found themselves in an unexpected fight just to get into the playoffs. So in a swift move Wednesday, just before the NHL trade deadline, Gaborik was shipped to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the biggest deal of the day. Gaborik was traded for center Derick Brassard, injured right wing Derek Dorsett, defenseman John Moore and a sixth-round pick in the 2014 draft. Two minor league players were sent to Columbus by the Rangers. This marked the second swap of star players between the teams within the past year. The first sent Rick Nash to the Rangers last summer. Gaborik briefly spoke to Nash about Columbus before hopping a flight to meet up with his new club in Nashville. "I didn't have fun this year," Gaborik said during a conference call. I don't think the whole team has at all, too, so I'm looking forward to the challenge. One season after having the best record in the East, the Rangers have struggled. "I had a lot of fun in New York but the way this kind of played out, actually one team wanted me and indicated they are going in the right direction and wanted to trade for me," he said. When I was in New York we didn't really perform the way we should, myself included. It wasn't the way anybody expected. Gaborik waived a no-movement clause in order to allow the deal to be completed. They're a team that really wants me. I made my decision after that," Gaborik said. It was the second big trade for the playoff-hopeful Rangers in two days. On Tuesday night, New York acquired forward Ryane Clowe from the San Jose Sharks for a package of three draft picks. All the healthy players were in New York's lineup Wednesday night for a home game against the Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh Penguins. "I believe the deal worked for both teams because I think he is going to play really well," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. We get a number of assets and some depth onto our team moving forward. New York and Columbus have become big-time trading partners in recent times. The Rangers received top-line forward Rick Nash from the Blue Jackets in a trade last July that sent Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon and a first-round pick in this year's draft to Columbus. Nash, the No. 1 overall pick in the NHL draft by the Blue Jackets in 2002, has 13 goals and 30 points in his first 31 games with New York. Nash is expected to play on a line with Brassard as they did with Columbus. Columbus also acquired defensemen Steven Delisle and Blake Parlett from the Rangers on Wednesday. Delisle had been traded to New York as part of the Nash deal. The Rangers entered play Wednesday in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, two points behind area rivals New Jersey and the New York Islanders, who currently hold the final two playoff positions. The Rangers have 13 games remaining. "I am hoping it's going to help us with some new juice," Tortorella said. We need to find a way to win, and we're hoping they're going to help us. The deal helps us in depth, period - forwards and defense. Columbus also has its sights on the playoffs in the Western Conference, sitting in 11th place but only one point below the postseason cutoff. The Blue Jackets have qualified for the playoffs only once in their first 11 NHL seasons - losing in the first round in 2009.