New York Rangers News

Zibanejad was scratched from the lineup Thursday in St. Louis due to illness, and his status remains in question for Saturday's matinee. Monitor Zibanejad's status as the Rangers hit the ice for warmups at 12:30 PM ET.

Smith exited Thursday's game against the Vancouver Canucks in the first period with an upper-body injury after playing only 3:08 time-on-ice. Smith has gone without a point in six straight games, his second pointless skid of six games or more and is expected to be out of the lineup for an extended period.

Jones was a late addition to Thursday's lineup after Mika Zibanejad left warmups with an undisclosed injury. Jones will draw in as the Rangers will opt to dress seven defensemen in Zibanejad's absence.

Zibanejad was expected to play on Thursday after missing the last two practices due to an illness, but the Rangers' superstar left warmups before line rushes took place and was announced as a scratch less than five minutes before puck drop. Zac Jones will draw into the lineup in place of Zibanejad as New York will now opt to dress seven defensemen.

Robertson was recalled for the first time in his career due to a few question marks in the Rangers' lineup but was not need and has been reassigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). The 22-year-old will return to Hartford, where he had two goals, 11 assists, 14 PIMs and a -2 plus/minus in 30 games prior to his call up.

Shesterkin has followed up three of his last four quality starts by allowing three or more goals, including allowing five on 25 shots (.800 SV%) in a 6-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. The 2023-24 campaign has been inconsistent for the 2021-22 Vezina winner, as his .904 SV% and 2.85 GAA are well below his career-averaged .921 SV% and 2.44 GAA. Despite his unspectacular play, Shesterkin has managed a respectable 16-9-0 record for a Rangers club that sits first in the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers have lost two straight but are sizeable -161 road favourites against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.

Zibanejad did not practice on Wednesday due to an illness but will play on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues. Zibenejad has only two points (0G / 2A) in his last four games but has been consistent all season, scoring 39 points (14G / 25A) in 39 games.

Trouba did not participate in practice on Tuesday or Wednesday as he was expecting the birth of his child but will play on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues. The 29-year-old Trouba has been an effective producer for the Rangers lately, scoring three points (1G / 2A), registering 19 hits, and 18 shots in his last five games.

After playing two straight games, Groulx was a healthy scratch in the last two for the Ducks but will re-enter the lineup on Thursday. The 23-year-old has one point (0G / 1A) while averaging 12:44 time-on-ice through 22 games this season.

Robertson had two goals, 13 points, 14 PIMs and a -2 plus/minus in 30 games with Hartford (AHL) but has earned his first career call-up to the Rangers Wednesday. The 22-year-old defensemen was New York's 2019 2nd round pick (49th overall) and has spend the last four seasons with Hartford prior to his call up.

Kakko has not played since November 27th, missing 19 games with a lower-body injury. There is still no exact timeline for his return to action, but is expected to return soon after several days of practicing in a non-contact jersey. Before his injury, Kakko was having a difficult time establishing himself offensively, scoring only three points (1G / 2A) in 20 games.

Leschyshyn has spent the majority of his season playing with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, scoring six points (3G / 3A) in 14 games. The 24-year-old will make his season debut with the Rangers on Thursday.

Trouba did not participate in practice on Tuesday or Wednesday due to personal reasons but will likely play on the Rangers' upcoming two-game road trip. The 29-year-old Trouba has been an effective producer for the Rangers lately, scoring three points (1G / 2A), registering 19 hits, and 18 shots in his last five games.

Zibanejad did not practice on Wednesday due to an illness but is expected to play at some point on their upcoming two-game road trip. Zibenejad has only two points (0G / 2A) in his last four games but has been consistent all season, scoring 39 points (14G / 25A) in 39 games.

Leschyshyn had three goals, three assists, eight PIMs and a +1 plus/minus in 14 games with Hartford (AHL) this season but has earned his first call up of the year to the Rangers and will replace Brennan Othmann on the active roster. The 24-year-old appeared in 35 games with Vegas and the Rangers in 2022-23 and miraculously failed to pick up a point while amassing 31 SOG, eight PIMs and a -10 plus/minus.

Othmann made his NHL debut last week, playing 12:26 time-on-ice while firing five shots on goal and registering three hits. In his two subsequent games, Othmann averaged just over seven minutes, accumulating only one shot on goal and two hits. The 20-year-old Othmann was the 16th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and has been reassigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, where he has 23 points (9G / 14A) in 28 games.

Shesterkin had the night off on Saturday, a 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, but will return to the crease on Monday night against the high-flying Vancouver Canucks. Shesterkin has been inconsistent this season, highlighted by a recent stretch where he has impressively allowed two or fewer goals in five of his last eight games (6-2-0) but allowed six in two, settling for a .907 SV%. The Rangers are 6-3-1 in their last 10 and are -148 home favourites against a Canucks squad that has scored six or more goals in three of their last five games (3-2-0).

Kakko has not played since November 27th, missing 18 games with a lower-body injury. There is still no timeline for his return to action, but he did participate in practice in a non-contact jersey. Before his injury, Kakko was having a difficult time establishing himself offensively, scoring only three points (1G / 2A) in 20 games.