NHL

Rangers’ Staal slowed by concussion

The repercussions from the un-brotherly hit Marc Staal absorbed from elder sibling Eric in Carolina last Feb. 22 that caused what the Rangers are now admitting was a concussion are creating headaches for the organization like the ones the 24-year-old defenseman experienced intermittently throughout the summer, and as late as late last week.

Though he was cleared for contact by the medical staff after passing a brainwave baseline test on Friday, the Rangers alternate captain will be held out of training camp scrimmages and at least the three North American exhibition games the club will play before departing for Europe on Sept. 27, as reported exclusively on NYPost.com yesterday afternoon.

And while John Tortorella described the approach as “cautious” and “precautionary,” the Rangers coach admitted he is in no position to guarantee Staal would be available for the Oct. 7 regular season-opener in Stockholm, Sweden, against the Kings.

“I can’t say, ‘Yeah, he’ll play,’ ” Tortorella said of his invaluable first-pair defenseman, who did go through the initial two days of rigorous on-ice testing and participated in all of yesterday’s drills. “It’s [post-concussion ramifications] out there; it’s well-chronicled.

“He’s progressing nicely after coming in with headaches, he’s felt really good after working out hard, and we’ve been very encouraged the last couple of days but I want him to feel better consistently. He could have contact, but we’re holding him out. We want to make sure.

“We’re looking to get him ready to play opening night.”

Marc Staal sustained the concussion when he was blasted up high by Hurricanes captain Eric Staal with 50 seconds remaining in the second period of the Rangers’ 4-3 shootout victory. The defenseman left the game at the 6:40 mark of the third period with a left knee injury he was said to have sustained on the match’s first shift.

Though Staal did indeed incur the knee injury, the organization repeatedly denied he had sustained a concussion. It was only yesterday that Tortorella disclosed Staal had, at the time, been “diagnosed with a concussion.”

No. 18 returned to the lineup after missing three games and passing a baseline test. But he was sidelined again for two games for an undisclosed reason on March 20-22 that yesterday was disclosed as post-concussion symptoms.

Staal, who did not address the media yesterday, returned for the final eight games of the regular season after passing another baseline test and played in the first-round of the playoffs against the Caps, in which the Rangers were eliminated in five games.

“But then he was working out in the summer and didn’t feel right,” Tortorella said. “He talked to [athletic trainer Jim Ramsay]. We had specialists with him.

“What bothers me most is that it re-occurred over the summer.”

Staal, who recorded 29 points (7-22) last year, was fourth in the NHL in ice-time at 25:44 per game and averaged 28:01 in the playoffs. He is the club’s lynchpin on a defense that is also dealing with Michael Sauer’s right knee tendinitis that has set the sophomore back at the start of camp.

“Yes and no,” Tortorella said when asked if the Rangers are in the market for blue line aid. “We’re always looking, especially at that position.

“We have a fairly young defense as projected, so we’ll see how it goes, but my biggest concern is getting Marc healthy.”

In other words, a post-concussion headache.

larry.brooks@nypost.com