Rangers place Chris Kreider on IR in yet another injury blow
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 will be placed on injured reserve — retroactive to Sunday — with an upper-body injury ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Stars.
Kreider missed the Rangers’ win against 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.
And on Dec. 23, the Blueshirts made Kreider a healthy scratch during their loss to the Devils.
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.”
In a corresponding move, the Rangers are expected to recall Matt Rempe before Tuesday’s game.
Rempe still needs to serve the final game of an eight-game suspension and won’t be able to play against Dallas, but he’d be available when the Rangers play the Devils on Thursday.
The Rangers have already been forced to navigate without goaltender Igor Shesterkin, on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, for the past three games.
