Rangers Face Centers Challenge After Injury

When it comes to the lineup, losing a player at center might be the trickiest situation for the Rangers to navigate.

This concern has become a reality after Joe Veleno sustained a lower-body injury early in the first period during their 4-2 victory over the Mammoth on Sunday night.

Just on his third shift, Veleno fell awkwardly while tangled with Clayton Keller. After some difficulty getting to the bench, the 26-year-old center spoke with a team trainer before needing help getting off the ice and into the locker room.

He wasn’t able to put any weight on his right leg while being assisted. Unfortunately, he didn’t return for the remainder of the game.

“No [update],” head coach Mike Sullivan mentioned. “He’s being evaluated right now for a lower-body injury. I’ll probably have more for you, maybe [Monday].”

This offseason, the Rangers had aimed to strengthen their center options, with Cole Beaudoin seen as a significant return piece in the Trocheck trade with Utah back on July 1.

Beaudoin stands out as an intriguing center prospect, but it’s worth noting that Sunday marked only his second professional game with the AHL Wolf Pack. It’s uncertain whether the Rangers will want to jump straight to using one of their newer talents or let him settle in the AHL first.

If they decide against Beaudoin, the Rangers still have Justin Dowling, Glenn Gawdin, Juuso Parssinen, and Dylan Roobroeck available as center alternatives in Hartford. Among them, Dowling, Gawdin, and Parssinen possess NHL experience, but Parssinen has been skating on the wing during the Wolf Pack’s initial games this season.

Dowling, who had one game with the Rangers last season, was a healthy scratch for Hartford on Sunday.

Sullivan expressed satisfaction with Tye Kartye’s performance on the second line, a switch he made during the win against the Red Wings on Friday.

As a result, Kartye continued alongside J.T. Miller and Pavel Dorofeyev in the subsequent game.

“I thought that line played well [in Detroit],” Sullivan commented after the morning skate on Sunday. “Tye’s a bit of a different player. He brings speed and tenacity. He’s relentless in pursuing the puck, which creates turnovers and quickens plays. There’s a bit of familiarity with J.T. from last year, knowing each other’s game.”

“We’re still figuring out this group and what combinations might offer us the best chance for success. What’s exciting is that we have some good options, enabling us to maintain balance regardless of how we shuffle the lineup.”

Eeli Tolvanen added an empty-net goal in the victory, extending his point streak to three games.

Additionally, with an assist on Gabe Perreault’s goal, Mika Zibanejad moved past Mark Messier for sixth-most assists on go-ahead goals in the team’s history, reaching a total of 134.