Rangers’ Trocheck leaves game with upper-body injury

Before Trocheck left the game, he recorded his first point of the year on New York’s first goal of the season with a primary assist on a tally by his linemate Alexis Lafreniere.

If Trocheck is forced to miss extended time with the injury, the Rangers could either move Mika Zibanejad back to his usual center position from the wing, or they could move rookie Noah Laba up in the lineup. Laba made the team with consistently impressive performances throughout training camp and the pre-season.

Trocheck, a key member of the team’s leadership group, is in the fourth season of a seven-year, $39.38 million contract that he signed to provide the Blueshirts with a veteran two-way presence.

The 32-year-old is coming off of a campaign in which he scored 26 goals and dished out 33 assists for 59 points in 82 games played. The year prior, he set a career high with 77 points as he helped power his team to a Presidents’ Trophy win as the team with the best regular season record in the NHL.

The Rangers went on to win Thursday night’s game by a 4-0 margin to earn their first victory of the season. New York was shutout on home ice in its season-opening game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

The Rangers will take the ice again on Saturday in the Steel City, Trocheck’s hometown, for another showdown with the Penguins.