The 2023-24 regular season came to abrupt end for one of the New York Rangers’ veterans.
On Friday, it was revealed that forward Blake Wheeler will miss the final 28 games this season with a lower-body injury. The Rangers promptly placed the 37-year-old on long-term injured reserve.
Wheeler was injured during the Rangers’ 7-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. He fell awkwardly along with boards after being hit by Canadiens’ defenseman Jayden Struble, and was helped off the ice by teammates Chris Kreider and Vincent Trochek.
Wheeler made it as far as just inside the Zamboni tunnel, before being helped my medical staff while sitting on a chair. He had to be placed on a stretcher in order to make it back to the Rangers’ dressing room.
This is the first time Wheeler is missing time since signing a one-year, $1.1 million AAV contract with the team last offseason. He had played every game up until that point.
With the move to LTIR, it will free some cap space for the Rangers heading into the trade deadline
There is a chance that Wheeler can return this season, but the Rangers are going to have to make a deep run in the playoffs in order for that to happen. It has not been announced what exactly Wheeler injured on the play, nor what has to be done for him to return.
In 54 games, the Plymouth, Minnesota native has scored nine goals and 12 assists, placing him eighth on the team in scoring.
In 1,172 career games, that also included an early stop with the Boston Bruins, Wheeler has scored 321 goals and 622 assists, 67 short of reaching the 1,000-point mark. In 65 playoff games, most with the Jets, Wheeler has scored 45 points.
The Rangers (35-16-3) will be facing their archrivals, the New York Islanders, in the second game of the Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. They are still atop the Metropolitan Division, eight points up on the Carolina Hurricanes.
More must-reads: