New York Rangers defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk will be sidelined “indefinitely” after suffering a torn meniscus that requires surgery to be repaired, the team announced Friday. The loss is a massive blow to a Rangers team that’s currently fourth in the Metropolitan Division with a 24-17-5 record.
Kevin Shattenkirk out ‘indefinitely’ due to torn meniscus
The Rangers defenseman will undergo surgery to repair the knee injury.
Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images
Anthony DeAngelo has been recalled from the AHL to replace him on the active roster. Additionally, the team promoted forward Daniel Catenacci and reassigned top prospect Lias Andersson to Hartford.
Shattenkirk has emerged as one of the Rangers’ top defensemen since signing a four-year, $26.6 million contract with the team last summer. He’s the team’s No. 1 point man on the power play, averaging over three minutes a game with the man advantage, and only Ryan McDonagh plays more minutes on the blue line overall.
However, Shattenkirk had been struggling badly prior to the news of his knee injury. In his last seven games, the defenseman recorded zero points, 11 shots on goal, a 43.5 percent 5-on-5 Corsi, and an ugly minus-8 rating. So it’s possible this was something he had tried to play through before opting to undergo surgery.
Without Shattenkirk, the Rangers are likely looking at a top four of McDonagh, Brady Skjei, Nick Holden, and Marc Staal. Other options on the active roster are DeAngelo, Brendan Smith, and Steven Kampfer.
Shattenkirk is signed through the 2020-21 season for a $6.65 million cap hit. He presently has a full no-movement clause that converts to a partial no-trade clause starting July 1, 2018, per Cap Friendly.
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