The New York Rangers announced on Wednesday that defenseman Anthony DeAngelo will be out of the lineup 3-4 weeks with a sprained ankle.
OFFICIAL: #NYR Tony DeAngelo suffered a sprained ankle in Monday night’s game against Carolina and will be sidelined for three-to-four weeks.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 14, 2018
New York Rangers 22-year-old Anthony DeAngelo suffered a sprained ankle in Monday night’s 6-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes and will be out of the lineup for three to four weeks. The injury occurred when DeAngelo crashed into the boards during the second period.
It has been a long, tough season for DeAngelo as he was traded to the Rangers along with the Arizona Coyotes first-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft for center Derek Stepan and goalie Antti Raanta. He was slated to make the team out of training camp and be on one of the team’s power play units.
While he did make the team and was in the opening night lineup, things didn’t go as DeAngelo planned and he was sent down to the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack in October.
DeAngelo was recalled by the Rangers in January following the announcement that Kevin Shattenkirk would be out indefinitely due to a torn meniscus that required surgery. DeAngelo seemed more committed to playing the Rangers style of hockey, a result of his improved play while a member of the Wolf Pack.
The three to four week estimated time out of action could result in DeAngelo missing the rest of the season. Head coach Alain Vigneault told Larry Brooks of the New York Post,
It’s unfortunate, but injuries are part of the game, players get them, and they’ve got to work real hard with the right mindset to get themselves back in the groove.
Vigneault likes the improvement he saw in DeAngelo following his call-up. DeAngelo most recently was paired with Brady Skjei and felt the combination was working well together. Vigneault went on to say,
I do think that in the short amount of time that he was here, he was making some positive strides in his game, understanding the game, and coming along for us as a good right-handed D. And that righty-lefty combination, in seeing [Neal] Pionk with Marc [Staal], or Tony with Marc or with Brady [Skjei], is something that permits us to get better touches on the back end with the puck and something we should look at moving forward, that righty-lefty combination.
The Rangers have recalled defenseman Ryan Sproul to replace DeAngelo in the lineup as the Rangers take on the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night at the Garden.
