ICE IN THEIR VEINS: Goalie Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan McDonagh and the rest of the Rangers will open their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series at home Thursday against the Senators. (
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When the Rangers practice today in advance of their first-round playoff series against the Senators that opens at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, Chris Kreider won’t be on the ice with them.
The Boston College junior winger, whom the Rangers hope to sign and add to their playoff roster, returned home yesterday from Tampa, Fla., where the Eagles captured the NCAA title with a 4-1 victory over Ferris State on Saturday night.
Individuals familiar with the situation regarding the 19th overall selection of the 2009 Entry Draft suggested that no inferences should be drawn by Kreider’s decision not to sign on the bottom line and rush immediately to Tarrytown to join the Rangers at their training facility.
General manager Glen Sather indirectly referred to Kreider’s availability for the playoffs in his press briefing three hours after the Feb. 27 trade deadline, then told The Post the following day he both intended and expected to sign the 6-foot-3, 230-pound wing who turns 21 on April 30 and who recorded 45 points (23-22) for the national champions following a 24-point (11-13) sophomore season.
Kreider would be eligible to join the Rangers and play as soon he signs, but because players aren’t paid during the playoffs and contract bonuses do not apply to the playoffs, he would essentially be playing for free.
He would, however, burn the first year of his Entry Level deal by signing. If Kreider opts to return to BC for his senior year, he could become an unrestricted free agent if unsigned by Aug. 15, 2013, though it is possible that hypothetical opportunity could be denied under the new collective bargaining agreement that will go into effect next season.
There is, of course, no guarantee Kreider would be deemed ready by coach John Tortorella to play for the Rangers in the playoffs even if the situation does present itself. How many shots did he block at BC, anyway?
The issues of Kreider’s availability and capability have been raised because of the Rangers’ lack of injury-protection depth up front, where John Scott, who played six games filling in for injured forwards in early March after being acquired at the deadline from Chicago, but hasn’t played since March 9, is the lone extra forward on the roster.
First seed in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers drew the eighth-seeded Senators after losing Saturday’s finale to the Capitals 4-1 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers lost their grip on the Presidents’ Trophy that was captured for the second consecutive season by Vancouver by virtue of the Canucks’ season-ending victory that night over the Oilers.
The 51-24-7 Rangers, who ended with consecutive regulation defeats after clinching the conference’s regular-season title with Tuesday’s victory in Philadelphia, will face a 41-31-10 Ottawa team they outdistanced by 17 points in the standings but whom they beat once in the four-game season series (1-2-1), losing both at the Garden, including one by a shootout in October.
The Rangers scored one goal in the final two defeats, including a Jan. 12 shutout at the Garden, perhaps another reason the Kreider situation has piqued so much interest.
* Game 2 will be at the Garden on Saturday night before the series moves to Ottawa for Games 3 and 4 next Monday and Wednesday, respectively. Following four games in seven days, the final three (if necessary) are scheduled over eight days, with a pair of off days between Games 4 and 5 and Games 6 and 7.