Tunnel and Bridge rivals, the Rangers and Islanders meet tonight. Each team is on the outside looking into the playoffs with both teams separated by a single point with the Blueshirts having a game in hand. Where the Rangers have reportedly decided their future direction, the Islanders are still believed to be all in, or if that term is too strong, trading assets does not appear to be in the Islanders near-term future.
The main focus for the Rangers has been and largely continues to be on those sidelined. Granted, trade talk has dominated much of the chatter, but the status of those injured players is at least 1B. Yesterday, New York got some good news on two players while coach Alain Vigneault had a status update on the remainder (quotes from his press conference transcribed by the SNY Rangers blog)
Chris Kreider, out since December 27 (20 games) due to a blood clot that required a rib resection, and Pavel Buchnevich, sidelined from February 1 (six games) due to a concussion, both returned to practice wearing a non-contact jersey. The timeframe for return for each varies, with Buchnevich’s more set. The type and extent of the injury for each player is what’s driving and determining when they are able to rejoin game action.
On Kreider, AV said: “From what I understand, talking to [head athletic trainer Jim Ramsay] and our doc, there’s a lot of room to go here. That was a serious injury he had, so we’re looking at game conditioning and conditioning. I don’t know if we’re talking two weeks or we’re talking a month. But the docs and him will evaluate this on a daily basis and he’ll keep working. Hopefully he can join us here at some point in the future.” Now that Kreider has been cleared to return to practice, he can resume skating and “hard training,” while also working on his conditioning. There is no point in rushing him back, especially if the plan is to play for the future. So it’s two weeks or four weeks or longer, then so be it. The good news is that CK20 is healthy and back in the ice.
Buchnevich is scheduled to skate with the extra players today and then return to practice Friday in a regular jersey. With AV, usually once a player practices in a regular jersey, he is ready to go back to game action. The doctors will make that call. But Buch could be back for Saturday’s game against Ottawa or Sunday versus Philadelphia.
Ryan McDonagh, out the last three games with an upper-body injury, is day to day and per AV, "there is not much more I can say." This situation is the weird one but McD practiced the day before he was sidelined. If it was a concussion, you would think New York would announce it. Personally, I still think the absence partially relates to the ab strain, or to me, sports hernia, which has bothered him all year. McD recently submitted his 10-team, no-trade list and speculation runs rampant his next destination may be Tampa or Boston. If he is just sitting while abdeal is worked on, that’s odd.
Here are two separate updates on McD that I posted to the blog comments last night:
SNY Rangers Blog:
Pierre McGuire on TSN discussing McDonagh:
"The Rangers will probably wait until June to figure out what to do with him"
"But if a team steps up, like the Rangers themselves did a couple of years ago when they overpaid for Keith Yandle at the deadline - multi-asset trade - then yes, they would listen on McDonagh."
"McDonagh recently gave his ten-team 'no list' to the Rangers, ten teams that he would not go to. What I am told from a source is that the list is not prohibitive to the Rangers. There are some options for the Rangers among the contenders to move him if the offer is right."
"Tampa Bay and the Boston Bruins, I do think, have some level of interest in McDonagh. They are fighting for first in the Atlantic, but are they willing to get into a bidding war and pay an exorbitant price for McDonagh, I'm not sure about that at this point."
From TVA Sports, translated from French to English: (http://www.tvasports.ca/2...onagh-rien-nest-moins-sur)
The name of Mikhail Sergachev circulates in New York.
Rumors send him with the Rangers in return for another defenseman, Ryan McDonagh.
However, according to TVA Sports journalist Renaud Lavoie, Sergachev will not move from Tampa by February 26, the deadline for transactions.
"According to the information I got from the Rangers, I was told to forget about Sergachev. It will not be him, "he told the program # LavoieDubé on Wednesday.
The Rangers, however, have not confirmed whether the target is a defender or an attacker.
Marc Staal has missed the past five games with a cervical strain he suffered against Nashville. AV: "he's been skating and is doing better. Exactly where he is, I couldn't tell you, I didn't ask but I do know he has been skating and coming along." This type of injury sidelined Sidney Crosby for a while and there is no real way to set a timeframe for his return. Kevin Shattenkirk is off crutches but no further info was provided.
The young
blueliners, Tony DeAngelo, Neal Pionk, John Gilmour and Ryan Sproul have stood in nicely for their missing defensive brethren. Each one of them will get a major test tonight, thanks to the rivalry. We will get to see quickly how and if they can rise to the equation. The blue line should again be: Brady Skjei Pionk, Nick Holden DeAngelo and Gilmour Sproul.
Offensively, the lines tonight should be the same as Tuesday, with Paul Carey scratched again:
Rick Nash, Mika Zibanejad, Mats Zuccarello
Michael Grabner, Kevin Hayes, JT Miller
Jimmy Vesey, David Desharnais, Jesper Fast
Cody McLeod, Peter Holland, Vinni Lettieri
When Buch returns, I would sit McLeod and then it gets interesting. Buch needs to be in the top-six, though I could see him on the third line until whatever trades that are going to be made are finalized. Grabner-Hayes-Miller should remain together, why I don’t slide Buch in that trio. I could see Vesey or Fast, especially Fast, sliding down a line. I would actually play Carey, sit Holland and go with Fast-Carey-Lettieri as my fourth line.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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