Jacob Trouba is close to returning to the lineup.
The Rangers captain said he still needs approval from the team’s training staff, but he feels good after missing the past 11 games with a lower-body injury.
Head coach Peter Laviolette declined to say whether Trouba will be available for Saturday’s game against the Coyotes at Mallet Arena, saying the big defenseman is still under consideration.
“It was a lot of sitting and waiting,” Trouba said of the recovery process. “It’s been good, the team is obviously playing really well. A lot of players have stepped up. The guys I’m talking about [Braden Schneider], [Zac Jones], [K’Andre Miller] I’ve been playing really well. A lot of them have accomplished a lot and it’s been fun for me to watch them grow, especially Schneize. He really stepped up and took advantage of the ice time and minutes. ”
Laviolette said he doesn’t anticipate any issues with Adam Fox, who was briefly ejected against Colorado and did not play in overtime.
“He would have played,” Laviolette said. “We couldn’t bring him back in time.”
Defenseman Erik Gustafsson, who will miss Saturday’s third game with an upper-body injury, did not play.
He still lives hand to mouth.
