Star New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin is day to day with a lower-body injury, and defenseman Ryan Lindgren is out for at least a few weeks, the team announced Wednesday. Both players left Tuesday’s preseason game against the Islanders and missed Wednesday’s practice.
Panarin, who led the Rangers with 120 points in 2023-24, has missed only seven total games in the past three seasons, so his injury is likely not a huge concern, especially considering he is listed as day to day. He left in the third period Tuesday on his own power.
Jimmy Vesey skated in his spot on a line with Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière at Wednesday’s practice.
Lindgren fought Scott Mayfield on Tuesday after the latter’s hit on Filip Chytil in the first period. The fight left Lindgren bloody, and he did not return to the game. Depending on the length of his injury, his absence could open up a spot on the opening night roster.
Lindgren, whose physical style at 6-foot often leaves him battered, plays primarily with Adam Fox, New York’s top defenseman. Connor Mackey, who played one game for New York last year, skated with Fox on Wednesday. Coach Peter Laviolette could also experiment with K’Andre Miller on the top pair, though the Rangers might prefer to even out the defensive pairs and keep him separate from Fox.
Mackey could be an option to replace Lindgren if he misses regular-season games. He earned a call-up last season and had a memorable fight against the Senators in his lone game. He has 40 games of NHL experience, with the Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames and Rangers. He had a plus-12 rating in 44 games with AHL Hartford last season, along with 82 penalty minutes, which ranked third on the team.
Ben Harpur is another left-handed defenseman who could contend for a spot. He played in only seven games with Hartford last season before a season-ending pectoral injury, but former Rangers coach Gerard Gallant liked him and played him in 42 NHL games in 2022-23. He has 198 games of NHL experience, as well as 14 games of NHL playoff experience. He did not skate with the main NHL group on Wednesday, instead practicing earlier in the morning with a group of mostly AHLers.
Chad Ruhwedel is likely to make the roster as a seventh defenseman, but he mostly plays on the right side, so he’s not a natural Lindgren fill-in. He can play on the left side in a pinch, though. Rising prospect Victor Mancini, another righty, was also in the main group Wednesday.
Here’s how Laviolette had the defensive pairings on Wednesday:
(Photo of Ryan Lindgren: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
