What was a good start to his North American career now seems like a long time ago for Pavel Buchnevich.
But after suffering back spasms following the second game of the season Oct. 15, the Rangers’ 21-year-old Russian winger was set to return to the lineup for Friday night’s game against the Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C.
“Pavel is fine,” coach Alain Vigneault said after Thursday’s practice, the first time since the injury that Buchnevich fully participated with the whole group in more than a morning skate. “He’s good to go. We’re going to take him off IR and he’s going to be in the lineup.”
Buchnevich had one assist in his first two games, but showed the offensive creativity Vigneault so covets. The team’s 2013 third-round pick began the season on the right side of a line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, but after some shuffling, it’s unclear who Vigneault is going to start him with.
Vigneault was optimistic about Kreider, who was set to miss his third straight game with a neck ailment and still has not practiced with the team. But Kreider skated on his own Thursday morning, and the coach said “things are coming along very well there.”
Because of a scheduling change, Vigneault said Kreider was “probably not” going to play in Sunday night’s home game against the Lightning. Originally, Vigneault had planned a practice on Saturday and off day on Monday, but he switched the two, thus not allowing Kreider the necessary practice time to test his neck.
“He needs at least one practice with the team, contact, see how he is,” Vigneault said. “Morning skates, when you’ve been out this long, don’t count.”
Forward Josh Jooris was set to be placed on injured reserve after Thursday’s MRI exam showed a Grade-2 separation in his left shoulder. Vigneault said the injury would keep him sidelined “three-to-four weeks.”
Henrik Lundqvist is expected to start in net Friday, his seventh of the first eight games. He has enjoyed the heavy workload early, and it’s possible he sits to watch backup Antti Raanta play Sunday’s game against the talented Lightning.
“I feel good, and I’m happy I get this opportunity to play a lot early on, just to get into a nice flow,” said Lundqvist, carrying a 2.35 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage, and who is still under the guise of Vigneault’s hope to keep him under 60 starts this season. “We still have our number, but early on, I really like the fact that I’m getting this opportunity now. It’s good for your game.”