It certainly looks like the Rangers will be without another defenseman.
However, another player is likely to make his NHL debut.
Erik Gustafsson left Saturday with an upper-body injury in overtime of the Rangers’ 4-3 shootout win over the Panthers.
He didn’t practice Monday, which doesn’t bode well for whether he’ll be available for Tuesday’s game between the Rangers and Flyers.
Head coach Peter Laviolette didn’t provide much of an update Monday other than to note that Gustafsson is still considered active.
Gustafsson was elbowed in the head by Sam Reinhart, which appeared to be inadvertent as Gustafsson was low to the ground.
If Gustafsson is absent on Tuesday, Brandon Scanlin, who was recalled from AHL Hartford last week as the seventh defenseman, will likely play in his NHL debut.
Scanlin, a former undrafted free agent, appeared in 57 games with the Wolfpack this year, posting eight goals and eight assists.
His 16 points are a career high in his three years in the AHL.
Gustafsson was recently paired with Adam Fox.
Ryan Lindgren (lower body) practiced with the team Monday wearing a red non-contact jersey.
He returned to skating on his own last week and took another step in the right direction on Monday.
It’s been just a week since Lindgren was injured, but he was expected to be out for several weeks.
“[Lindgren] I was very strong and practiced hard,” Laviolette said Monday. “It’s great to have him there.”
After being sidelined for more than a month due to injuries on the Rangers’ blue line, the path has been cleared for Zach Jones, who played in the last nine games.
He impressed with the opportunities he was given, posting a plus-3 and three assists in those games. He is primarily paired with Chad Ruhwedel.
“I think this was the best development I’ve ever had in my four years as a pro,” Jones told the Post on Monday. “He’s just getting back to his game, so he feels good.”
When the Rangers acquired Alex Wennberg before the trade deadline in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick, Laviolette wanted the veteran center to join Mika Zibanejad from the front line. He said he envisioned stealing faceoffs in the defensive zone. .
Laviolette praised Wennberg’s contributions in the field.
Wennberg has won 49.4 percent of his games since joining the Rangers.
“I thought he played great,” Laviolette said. “I’ve seen some [success]. I still expect Micah to go out there. Whether you need a right-hander or a left-hander, sometimes you go to the face-off dot. Knowing he came here as a left-handed centerman made me feel more comfortable. He is a responsible player, still skilled and we have a good balance in our lineup now. ”
