BREAKING NEWS: Rangers Forced to Recall Prospect After Losing Half of Their Defense
With less than a month remaining until the commencement of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, the New York Rangers are facing a challenging situation as injuries plague their defensive lineup. On Monday morning, the Rangers disclosed that defenseman Erik Gustafsson is dealing with an upper-body injury, described as day-to-day by the team’s public relations account on X (previously known as Twitter).
Although the precise instance of Gustafsson’s injury wasn’t specified in the concise statement provided by the Rangers, it is suspected to have occurred during their 4-3 shootout triumph against the Florida Panthers on Saturday, March 23. A particular incident involving Panthers forward Sam Reinhart and Gustafsson suggests the possibility of the injury, as documented and circulated by @DaveyUpper on X.
UPDATE: Erik Gustafsson (upper body, day-to-day) will not practice today.
— NY Rangers PR (@NYR_PR) March 25, 2024
During Saturday’s victory, Gustafsson logged 19:44 minutes of ice time, participating in all three regulation periods and overtime before the game extended to a shootout.
Throughout this season, Gustafsson has been a key player in the New York Rangers’ defensive lineup, contributing significantly with 6 goals and 24 assists, accumulating a total of 30 points across 70 games, with only one absence recorded up to Monday, March 25.
On Monday, Gustafsson did not participate in practice and did not engage with the media following the session.
Brutal elbow by Reinhart on Gus. … He was very slow to the bench. #NYR pic.twitter.com/U3gvkei6k1
— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) March 24, 2024
Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren, Still Out For Rangers
Adding to the Rangers’ injury concerns, team captain Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren are both absent from the lineup and will not be able to play on Tuesday, March 26, when New York is set to host the Philadelphia Flyers. Both Trouba and Lindgren are currently dealing with lower-body injuries.
As of Tuesday, Trouba has been sidelined for 9 games. Before the game against the Panthers on Saturday, March 23, Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette informed reporters that Trouba was “on the ice on his own,” describing this development as “a real positive thing.”
Here’s Lindgren with some post-practice work. Seems to be moving fairly well. #NYR pic.twitter.com/4Jr8178yf4
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) March 25, 2024
Following Trouba’s injury, the Rangers initially projected a recovery period of two to three weeks, with Laviolette indicating that it appears to be leaning more towards the three-week mark.
Lindgren, who sustained his injury subsequent to Trouba’s, was observed skating during Monday’s practice session while wearing a no-contact jersey, according to Vince Mercogliano. The beat reporter shared a brief video clip of Lindgren on the ice with the specialized gear, remarking on the defender’s condition that he “seems to be moving fairly well.”
Rangers Recall Still-to-Debut Brandon Scanlin from Hartford
With three defensemen sidelined and unavailable for Tuesday’s game against the visiting Flyers, the Rangers made an announcement on March 18 that they have summoned Brandon Scanlin from their affiliate team, Hartford, of the American Hockey League.
Scanlin has not yet played in the NHL professionally. However, given the current precarious state of the Rangers’ defensive lineup, it’s reasonable to expect that he may have an opportunity to be included in the gameday squad on Tuesday morning when Laviolette announces his roster, potentially marking his official debut once the game begins.
UPDATE: The Rangers have recalled Brandon Scanlin from the Hartford Wolf Pack.
— NY Rangers PR (@NYR_PR) March 18, 2024
Despite not yet having played in an official NHL game, Scanlin, aged 24, brings a considerable level of experience to the table. In the current season with Hartford, he has amassed 16 points across 57 games, with his contributions evenly divided between 8 goals and 8 assists.
Scanlin’s journey with the Rangers began after his time at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, where he caught the attention of the team’s management. Subsequently, he was initially signed by the Rangers, and on February 15, they extended his contract for an additional two years, demonstrating their confidence in his abilities and potential.