Henrik Lundqvist New York Rangers
(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

After Tuesday’s New York Rangers move to send Nick Holden to the Boston Bruins, Wednesday proved to be much quieter. 

On Wednesday, the New York Rangers announced today that they have sent defenseman Ryan Sproul to the minors. A corresponding move to keep Rob O’Gara with the big club for the time being. Sproul posted two assists in four games with the big club while also recording an even plus/minus.

The Rangers also announced that Marc Staal will return to the lineup Thursday night. Staal has been out since Feb. 3 after taking a hard hit from the Nashville Predators’ Alexei Emelin.

Reinforcements Coming?

News has spread that some high profile Rangers have been skating and are nearing a return to the ice. Chris Kreider, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Ondrej Pavelec are skating good signs that they may return before the end of the season. The absence of Chris Kreider has been a serious one for the forward corps. It’s easy to see how Kreids helps the lineup out. His strong forechecking ability and speed are sorely missed.

Although Pavelec has been skating, it appears Alain Vigneault will give a youngster the opportunity to start. Alexander Georgiev will start on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens. Georgiev, who was recalled on Feb. 10 has battled the Flu since his recall. It’s a nice opportunity for the youngster who has posted a 12-11-6 record with a 2.97 GAA and a .908 save percentage. A slow start paired with a young WolfPack team led to some early season woes but Georgiev has been on fire as of late.

Tomorrow’s Lineup 

Some major holes in the lineup due to injuries and the sell now mode. But still encouraging to see Kreider skating. J.T. Miller seems to be the odd man out, but he hasn’t been very noticeable in the past few games. Also very nice to see Pionk still on the top pair. He’s been surprisingly good on the top pair with Brady Skjei so it’ll be good to keep him there and hopefully keep building his confidence.

In Other News 

  • NHL.com’s Dan Rosen explores the rumors of Ryan McDonagh and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
  • Elite Sports NY’s Brandon Spreckels gives you the in-depth profile on newly acquired Rob O’Gara.
  • Pat Keogh of Blueshirt Banter examines the trade value of J.T. Miller and Chris Kreider.
Neal Purcell has a tremendous passion for New York Rangers hockey and the sport of hockey in general. A graduate of SUNY Cortland in Upstate NY, Purcell coaches both a high school hockey team and a travel team in the winter. Purcell is also a part of a small family business in the Central New York Region.