The Rangers’ search for a defenseman will become more serious following yesterday’s setback that kept Marc Staal off the ice with re-occurring post-concussion symptoms.
After coach John Tortorella reported on Sunday that Staal had been “progressing nicely” after experiencing headaches as late as late last week, the coach said yesterday the first-pair defenseman “just didn’t feel good,” upon reporting to the rink in the morning and as such was kept off the ice.
“It’s an ongoing, fluid situation,” Tortorella said of Staal, whose continuing issues seven months after being concussed on a hit from his older brother Eric have alarm bells ringing within the organization. “This is the process we’re going to go through as we try to help him through this.
“We’re erring on the side of caution here. We’re going to be patient with him.”
That’s certainly the appropriate approach, but it’s not as if the Rangers have much of a choice in dealing with the health of their 24-year-old alternate captain.
And as the club prepares to embark on its trip to Europe late next Monday night for the final 10 days of camp that will precede the first two games of the regular season in Stockholm on Oct. 7-8 without assurance that Staal will be in the lineup, the Blueshirts have little choice other than to add a veteran, depth defenseman to a green blue line.
Tortorella made no secret that Staal’s situation would add urgency to the organization’s search for a defenseman the coach said had been ongoing even prior to Friday’s first day of camp.
“Even prior to Marc being up and down we were looking,” he said. “Why? Because you always look to try and improve your team.”
Tortorella may not be a charter member of Paul Mara’s fan club, the coach having overseen the veteran’s exit from both the Lightning and Rangers, but the 32-year-old free agent who played 156 games for the Blueshirts from late in 2006-07 through 2008-09, is probably the best option under these circumstances.
Mara, who can play both sides, understands Tortorella’s system and would certainly be available at the right price after rejecting an invitation to attend the Islanders’ training camp on a tryout. Mara earned $750,000 last season playing for Anaheim and Montreal.
The 11-year-veteran would add experience to a defense corps that, absent Staal and in addition to first-pair shutdown staple Dan Girardi most prominently features sophomores Michael Sauer and Ryan McDonagh; 21-year-old Michael del Zotto, fighting to make his way back onto the roster; and 20-year-old rookie Tim Erixon, who is in his first year in North America.
Sauer, who missed the opening two days of camp and Sunday’s first scrimmage because of right knee tendinitis, appears to have come through yesterday’s scrimmage without any after-effects. Indeed, Sauer was assertive throughout and absorbed a tough Sean Avery check against the wall (responded to immediately by Brandon Dubinsky) none the worse for wear.
Tortorella said he is looking for the defense to create more offense. Beyond that, he everyone on the club to add onto their games, “including the young guys.”
“We were a seventh-, eighth-, ninth-place team for most of last year,” he said. “We’re not going anywhere if we’re pretty good. We have to improve as individuals and as a team if we want to go anywhere.”
It will be that much harder for the Rangers to get there without Staal regaining his health.