It appears the Rangers are finally returning to full strength.
Defenseman Erik Gustafsson participated fully in Tuesday’s practice, the first time he practiced without restrictions since sustaining an upper-body injury in a 4-3 penalty shootout win against the Panthers on March 23. did.
He returned to his usual third-line defensive duo with Braden Schneider.
Head coach Peter Laviolette did not say whether Gustafsson would return for Wednesday night’s game against the Devils at Madison Square Garden, but said Gustafsson is back to 100 percent and has not been in the past. There is no doubt that he will return to action after his absence. 4 games.
The Rangers sent defenseman Brandon Scanlin back to the AHL, so at least Gustafsson will be available.
“I feel good right now and I felt good on the ice,” Gustafsson said after Tuesday’s practice. “I’m really happy to be back. …A week off feels like a long time.”
If Gustafsson returns to action, Zach Jones will likely be sacrificed. The Rangers have been plagued by injuries on the blue line in recent weeks, and in addition to Gustafsson, Ryan Lindgren and Jacob Trouba have also filled in admirably. .
Jones is highly regarded by his teammates and told the Post last week that he thought he was playing the best hockey of his career recently.
“Fortunately, we have a lot of great defensemen here right now. We have great depth heading into the playoffs, and there are decisions to be made on the back end and decisions to be made up front,” Laviolette said. talked about probably having to do that. Jones on the bench. “I think Zach played really well, which is good for us. … It’s going to be a tough decision no matter what.”
The hit, in which Gustafsson was injured by an elbow to the head from Florida’s Sam Reinhart, appeared to be just as dirty and earned the scorn of fans. However, Gustafsson saw no malice in the play.
“It was a quick play. I don’t think he did anything intentionally,” Gustafsson said. “It’s a fast game we play there.”
Kaapo Kakko has been productive in recent games after a series of cold losses, scoring four points (two goals, two assists) in his last four games, including a goal in Monday’s 5-2 loss to the Penguins, and is a plus. It became 3.
There was a period in which he had just three points (3 goals, no assists) in the previous 15 games, and a period in which he was minus 2 points.
“He looks strong to me right now,” Laviolette said. “He skates well, he uses his body, he’s physical, he’s heavy on the puck, he’s heavy on fighting in the offensive zone, he’s trying to generate.”
The Rangers signed defenseman Victor Mancini to a two-year entry-level contract and forward Kalle Vaisanen to a three-year entry-level contract.
Mancini, the Rangers’ fifth-round draft pick in 2022, scored 10 points (six goals, four assists) last year at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Vaisanen, selected by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 2021 draft, scored 14 points (9 goals, 5 assists) with Turun Paloseula in the Finnish League last season.
Industry sources say Mancini and Vaisanen plan to go to AHL Hartford on amateur tryout deals. Their entry-level contracts begin next year.
Additional reporting by Larry Brooks.
