In the latest injury hit of the season, and in the latest setback during a rough year for the Rangers’ longest-tenured player, forward Chris Kreider was placed on injured reserve — retroactive to Sunday — with an upper-body injury.
Kreider missed the Rangers’ win over the Blackhawks on Sunday, and he has collected just 13 goals and 15 points this season — struggling most of the year and ending up on the trade memo that general manager Chris Drury sent back in November as the Rangers’ slide began.
Their team-wide struggles resulted in Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, an inseparable duo that stabilized the first line in recent seasons, getting broken up, shifted around and then ultimately reunited as Peter Laviolette searched for the most consistent lines.
Chris Kreider
And on Dec. 23, the Blueshirts made Kreider a healthy scratch during their loss to the Devils following a stretch of just one goal in nine games.
He missed three games near the end of November due to back spasms, too, but when addressing the injury after his healthy scratch against New Jersey, Kreider said, “Everybody is playing through something. Feel pretty good right now.”
Still, this season has been rocky for Kreider.
The 33-year-old played every game last year and collected 75 points — the second most of his career.
He logged 79 and 81 regular-season appearances during the two campaigns before that.
But with the Rangers’ season set to officially hit the midway point Thursday, Kreider’s absence against the Stars already marked his fifth missed game of the season and fourth due to injury.
That number will continue to grow until he returns from injured reserve, too.
The Rangers have placed Chris Kreider (20) on IR.
In the present, Kreider’s injury forced the Rangers to adjust. Jonny Brodzinski skated with Zibanejad and Reilly Smith for a second consecutive game Tuesday.
The Blueshirts also needed to plug Kreider’s role in front of the net on power plays. And they recalled Matt Rempe from AHL Hartford on Tuesday to take Kreider’s roster spot, though Rempe still needed to serve the final game of an eight-game suspension — stemming from boarding and elbowing Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen on Dec. 20 — and wasn’t available against Dallas.
Goaltender Igor Shesterkin, on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, participated in the morning skate.
He has missed four games, but the $92 million star will be eligible to return for Thursday’s game. “It’s great that he’s out on the ice,” Laviolette said. … Jonathan Quick started against the Stars in his first outing since allowing six goals on 27 shots against the Capitals on Saturday. It marked his latest chance to become the first United States-born goalie to win 400 NHL games.
