PITTSBURGH — Neither the Rangers nor Ruslan Fedotenko has confirmed the winger sustained a concussion as a result of the high blow he took from Dominic Moore at the Garden on Feb. 9, but the club and the player are both operating as if he did.
“Every day it’s been getting better and better, but we are just taking it day by day to make sure the symptoms are gone,” said Fedotenko, who took part in the morning skate but has been sidelined for six straight games including last night’s 2-0 defeat to the Penguins. “It’s just frustrating because you don’t know [when you are going to be able to play].”
The Rangers are taking a cautious approach regarding Fedotenko that perhaps is informed by their experience a year ago with Marc Staal, whom they twice, weeks apart, allowed to return when the defenseman insisted he was good to go despite previous post-concussion symptoms that sidelined him twice briefly.
Staal, who then missed the first 36 games of this season with post-concussion syndrome, said in December he made a mistake by continuing to play last year, though he knew he wasn’t 100-percent.
“It was my decision,” Staal said on Dec. 1, addressing the issue for the first time. “I sugar-coated a lot of things.”
Fedotenko said the decision regarding his return would be made by Rangers trainer Jim Ramsay.
* The Rangers are initiating talks with representatives for impending free agent Brandon Prust to extend his contract and thus prevent the winger from going on the open market July 1, The Post has learned.
Prust, who will turn 28 next month, is on the final season of a two-year deal under which he is earning $800,000 per season.
Fedotenko, Martin Biron, Steve Eminger, John Mitchell and Jeff Woywitka are the other impending unrestricted free agents on the NHL roster.