The New York Rangers addressed their need for a hard-shooting, experienced blueliner, acquiring Bryan McCabe from the Florida Panthers in exchange for forward Tim Kennedy and a third round pick in 2011.

McCabe, 35, agreed to waive his "no-movement" clause to accept the trade, the second time he's done so under this current contract. The last time was in September 2008 when he agreed to be dealt to the Panthers.

It's the final season of McCabe's contract, which paid him an average salary of $5.75 million per season, though for this season it was worth $4.15 million.

In 48 games this season with the Panthers, McCabe scored five goals and 22 points (with 2 goals and five assists coming on the power-play), with a plus-minus of +3.

He's previously reached or exceeded the 40-point mark five times in his career, including 43 points last season and a career-high of 68 points in 2005-06.

McCabe had stated his first priority was to re-sign with the Panthers and it's possible he might return this summer as an unrestricted free agent but it remains to be seen if that's a possibility. The Panthers are rebuilding and there simply might not be any room for him in their future plans.

The Rangers have been linked to McCabe for weeks as they've been seeking an experienced blueliner with his offensive skills to anchor their power-play for some time.

For Panthers fans the return appears low. Kennedy had a decent rookie campaign with the Buffalo Sabres in 2009-10 but after re-signing a one-year deal with the Sabres was then waived and bought out of his contract. He signed a one-year deal with the Rangers as an unrestricted free agent but spent the season in the minors.

It'll be interesting to see if he can find a place in the Panthers rebuilding plans.