When Mike Richter went down a year ago, the Rangers were caught short in net with Dan Blackburn as the only NHL-ready replacement within the organization. Glen Sather addressed that issue this summer in acquiring Jussi Markkanen from Edmonton to join Blackburn and Mike Dunham on the depth chart.
At least he thought he addressed that issue.
Now, however, the GM likely is on the lookout for another goaltender with Blackburn sidelined indefinitely with “a peripheral nerve injury” in the left rotator cuff that he suffered late last month at the team’s prospects camp in Calgary. It’s similar to, though because of its location not believed as severe as, the injury suffered by Brian Leetch when he crashed into the boards in St. Louis during the 1992-93 season. Leetch, whose nerve damage was in his neck, missed nearly three months.
The Rangers won’t know anything about Blackburn until he’s examined next Wednesday after three weeks of rest, but the goaltender is expected to miss at least the first month of the season. Which means Sather is in the market for a goaltender to start the season in Hartford while, as was the plan all along, Markkanen backs up Dunham on Broadway.
“It’s a little early to know what we’ll do in that regard, but it’s always risky not to have four guys you can really use at the NHL level,” Sather said after yesterday’s detail-oriented day of drills at the team’s practice rink. “I guess we’ll know more after Danny is re-evaluated next week.”
With Blackburn, whom the Rangers had wanted to carry a 60-game load as an AHL No. 1 after two years totaling 63 games as an NHL backup in prime development years, down, Jason Labarbera is Hartford’s starter, with Scott Meyer and Phil Osaer behind him on the depth chart. There’s no hurry for Sather to act, with veteran goaltenders annually available in the Waiver Draft.
The Rangers cannot at this date bring Henrik Lundqvist, their very highly regarded, 21-year-old Swedish netminder, over to North America. Lundqvist, who last month was selected as the all-star goaltender in a four-nation European tournament, is under contract to Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League. The deadline for bringing players of his contractual status to North America was a loophole-free Aug. 15.
* Mark Messier remained on the ice late to work with Dominic Moore on faceoffs . . . Ronal Petrovicky, who sustained a slight groin pull in Vermont on Tuesday, did not skate yesterday . . . While the Eric Lindros and Petr Nedved lines remained intact (No. 88 flanked by Martin Rucinsky and Anson Carter; No. 93 between Jan Hlavac and Alex Kovalev), Bobby Holik for a second straight day was with Dan LaCouture and Jamie Lundmark, while Messier skated with wingers Chris Simon and Matt Barnaby. Right wing Juris Stals skated in each of the split sessions, first with Richard Scott and Cory Larose, then with Moore and Garth Murray . . . Tom Poti skated with Greg de Vries as what likely will be the first defense pair until Leetch is able to return from his left ankle injury. “Brian is starting to feel better, but it could be two weeks or two months,” Sather said. “Who knows?”