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    Derek Stepan Injury: Updates on Rangers Star's Leg and Return

    Mike Chiari@mikechiariX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistSeptember 24, 2014

    MONTREAL, QC - MAY 27: Derek Stepan #21 of the New York Rangers looks on during the game against the Montreal Canadiens during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Final in the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre on May 27, 2014 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Francois Laplante/FreestylePhoto/Getty Images)
    Francois Laplante/FreestylePhoto/Getty Images

    Updates from Friday, Nov. 7

    The Rangers announced Stepan's return date:

    New York Rangers @NYRangers

    AV confirms that @ctalbot33 will start in goal Saturday vs. Maple Leafs and that @DerekStepan21 will make his season debut Saturday #NYR

    Updates from Wednesday, Nov. 5

    Derek Stepan appears to be out tonight against the Red Wings according to the Rangers Report:

    Rick Carpiniello @RickCarpiniello

    Stepan not on the ice for warmups. Looks like a Saturday return.

    Updates from Sunday, Nov. 2

    Andrew Gross of The Record confirms Derek Stepan is still not ready for contact:

    Andrew Gross @AGrossNewsday

    Derek Stepan also participating in #NYR optional. But also still wearing a yellow non-contact jersey.

    Seth Rothman of InsideHockey.com later reported Stepan's timetable for return:

    Updates from Friday, Oct. 31

    The Rangers provided an update on Stepan's status:

    New York Rangers @NYRangers

    #NYR @DerekStepan21 out on the ice for practice in the yellow non-contact jersey. http://t.co/wYh7yqvVYv

    Rangers Report added more on the center's status:

    Rick Carpiniello @RickCarpiniello

    Stepan: "my wife and dog are probably sick of me." No timetable for contact or activation yet.

    Steve Zippy of Newsday has more from head coach Alain Vigneault:

    Steve Zipay @stevezipay

    AV: Ideally would like Derek Stepan to have full contact practices, but is not ruling him out for Monday vs. St. Louis. Depends on docs.

    Updates from Wednesday, Oct. 29

    The New York Rangers updated Derek Stepan's status and recovery time:

    New York Rangers @NYRangers

    #NYR Injury Update: AV says that within "next 4-7 days" @DerekStepan21 "should be back on ice with us" practicing with team

    Blue Shirts United's Jim Cerny provides details from head coach Alain Vigneault: 

    The 24 year-old Stepan is currently on LTIR because of a fractured fibula he suffered early in training camp. He has finally resumed skating within the past week, and on Wednesday head coach Alain Vigneault stated that Stepan will soon be allowed to participate in practices.

    "I would say in the next four to seven days he should be back with us," Vigneault said of Stepan, who had never missed a regular season game in his NHL career before this injury. "It will take a couple of practices to see how he feels. I know he's been skating real hard the past three or four days, and he's been working in the gym. We'll see when he gets back.

     

    Updates from Sunday, Oct. 26

    Derek Stepan Injury: Updates on Rangers Star's Leg and Return
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    Larry Brooks of NYPost.com confirms when Derek Stepan is eligible to return to the ice:

    Stepan, whose lower leg gave way a couple of weeks after he was hit in that area by a Dan Girardi shot in a Sept. 9 pre-camp scrimmage, skated once, according to the coach, who provided no further medical update.

    The club’s presumptive first-line center is eligible to come off Long Term Injury Reserve for the Blueshirts’ Nov. 3 match at the Garden against the Blues. That would represent the club’s 11th game of the season. Stepan originally was expected to miss from four-to-six weeks.

    The six-week threshold will be reached on Nov. 5, when the Rangers face the Red Wings at the Garden.

    Updates from Saturday, Oct. 25 

    The New York Rangers provide an update on Derek Stepan's recovery:

    New York Rangers @NYRangers

    #NYR Injury Update: Derek Stepan has begun skating lightly on his own

    Updates from Wednesday, Oct. 21

    Andrew Gross of The Record has an update on Stepan:

    Andrew Gross @AGrossNewsday

    No timetable yet for Derek Stepan to resume skating.

    Updates from Sunday, Oct. 5

    The Rangers announced a decision on Derek Stepan's roster status is expected Monday:

    New York Rangers @NYRangers

    AV says postgame that he is leaning towards #NYR placing Derek Stepan on LTIR and keeping 14 forwards to start season..decision Monday

    Original Text

    The New York Rangers are looking to build off a season that saw them reach the Stanley Cup Final, but the Blueshirts have already been faced with bad news in form of an injury to center Derek Stepan.    

    With the start of the 2014-15 campaign just a couple weeks away, the team announced that its top pivot has suffered a fractured fibula, according to the team's official Twitter account:

    New York Rangers @NYRangers

    #NYR Injury Update: @DerekStepan21 suffered a fractured fibula and is meeting with doctor..no estimate yet on how long he will be out

    Per Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the injury occurred during a preseason conditioning test on Wednesday:

    Larry Brooks @NYP_Brooksie

    Stepan helped off ice after going down, clutching left leg/knee, during #NYR conditioning test. No contact, simply fell to ice...

    Rangers coach Alain Vigneault also discussed the injury, via Andrew Gross of The Record and Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News:

    Andrew Gross @AGrossNewsday

    AV says Derek Stepan had a third X-ray on his leg/foot this morning and everything checked out. He was feeling good.

    The Rangers later announced that Stepan will miss four-to-six weeks:

    New York Rangers @NYRangers

    #NYR President and GM Glen Sather announced that Derek Stepan suffered a non-displaced fractured fibula & will be sidelined for 4-to-6 weeks

    The 24-year-old Minnesota native was second on the team in scoring last season with 57 points. He was also named to the U.S. Olympic team and was penciled in to be the Rangers' top-line center in 2014-15.

    According to Craig Custance of ESPN The Magazine, New York was already lacking depth at center even before Stepan went down:

    Craig Custance @CraigCustance

    Wow. What a blow for team not terribly deep down the middle. RT @PLeonardNYDN #NYR say Derek Stepan has a fractured fibula. No timetable

    This injury elevates Derick Brassard to top-line status and may force a player like Matthew Lombardi or Dominic Moore to take on a bigger offensive role on the second line.

    Since scoring could very well be an issue for New York early in the season, there is now even more pressure on all-world goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to stand on his head.

    The Rangers may be able to persevere provided Stepan isn't lost for the entire season, but it will take a team effort in order to make up for his absence no matter how long it lasts.

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