The Rangers are getting some good news for their lineup on Saturday as Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Journal News relays that Ryan Lindgren will return after suffering an upper-body injury against Columbus while Igor Shesterkin should also return after missing four games. Despite that, the team also announced (Twitter link) that they’ve brought up Connor Mackey from AHL Hartford.
With New York having a long layoff between games, the only time that Lindgren wound up missing was the third period of Sunday’s contest against Columbus. The 25-year-old has just a single assist through his first 13 games so far this season while averaging a little over a hit and block per game in 19:33 per night of action.
Meanwhile, Mackey is no stranger to the up-and-down shuffling; this is his fifth recall this month. Despite the promotions, the 27-year-old has yet to play for the Rangers this season but has gotten into nine games with the Wolf Pack where he has a goal and three assists. Mackey cleared waivers in training camp after spending last season in a depth role between Calgary and Arizona. His presence on New York’s roster is likely for insurance purposes in case Lindgren has a late setback and can’t play against New Jersey.
As for Shesterkin, the 27-year-old is off to another strong start to the season with a 2.36 GAA and a .913 SV% in his first eight appearances. The 2021-22 Vezina winner had been dealing with undisclosed soreness. Veteran Jonathan Quick did quite well in Shesterkin’s absence and is off to a great start of his own with a 1.98 GAA and a .928 SV% in his first six appearances but Shesterkin will almost certainly go back to getting the lion’s share of the workload having been cleared to return.
Lindgren reminds me a lot of Hjalmarsson. The type of D-man that every contender needs. Too bad his talents are being wasted in NY. That team has done nothing but choke when it counts for the last 3 decades.