Injury Report: Derek Stepan (11/6: Will return Saturday)

[Eric Sachs]

ESPN listed Stepan as a having a broken leg. Not that they are the most reliable when it comes to hockey but I just thought it was interesting.

last time I checked, your fibula was part of your leg. A hairline fracture would still be considered "broken".

it's the better injury of the two (tibia/fibula), of course. And if it's a stress (hairline) fracture, it's an even better scenario.

 

[TheTakedown]

Not actually worried about this to be honest...

We get a good solid look at some of our prospects at the NHL level. Coaching staff can get familiar a bit more with the prospects in an NHL environment.

Really want to see what Hayes can do, but I think still think the lineup becomes


Nash-brass-zucc
Kreider-miller/Moore-msl
Hagelin-Hayes/Lombardi/Lindberg/Moore/Miller-Stempniak
Glass-Moore/Lombardi-Malone

That's really not that detrimental assuming Lombardi and stempniak are sufficient for the 3rd line, which I assume they are.

Power play doesn't take too much of a hit thanks to Malone IMO...

Now, does everyone see all of that depth? We are actually prepared this year. Let's take a moment and realize that.

 

[slipknottin]

I do realize that. But I also realize this is the same guy that hasn't been effective in this league since 09/10 and just got back from the NLA. I root for the guy, but to try to bring him up after our 1C broke his leg is just wrong.

I know i'm coming off as pretty pessimistic, but I'm just trying to bring to light that losing Stepan is a problem for this organization going forward.



Who else would?

Nobody is saying these guys are as good as Stepan. All they have to do is be good enough until hes back.

Moore or Brassard would probably be on the first line, unless Miller shows he can play and play well there.

 

[Moon Knight]

Really annoying that Stepan is out but hopefully it'll be a blessing in disguise.

Maybe JT Miller or someone else can step it up in the mean time.

 

[Jim Morrison]

Nobody is saying these guys are as good as Stepan. All they have to do is be good enough until hes back.

Moore or Brassard would probably be on the first line, unless Miller shows he can play and play well there.

Are you perhaps training to be a politican? You are giving me such non-answers. Moore is not a 1C. Brassard? Maybe. But he's the only one. Miller can be one if he reaches his potential. But don't pretend that they're covered in C-depth. They're not. I reckon Miller will be the one slotted in between Kreider and Marty. If he grabs the opportunity, amazing, that gives us a more "positive" problem to have when Stepan comes back. But that's also alooot of responsibility straight away in what many are expecting to be your breakout-season.

 

[DanielBrassard]

I'm waiting for a timetable, but my feeling is that if we maintain a .500 record for the period of time he's out, we will be fine. We are probably looking at a month of the regular season and not even a quarter of it.

I'm feeling this way also. Great opportunity for one of Lindberg/Hayes/Lombardi for sure but man this is rough.

 

[GoCaps2004]

I can see the smiles on the faces of our rival fans, and thats what pisses me off most. The joy in their stomachs as they realize our top center has gone down.

I'm not sure if anyone else has responded to this, but no one wants to see anyone injured. The fact that you think people are happy that Stepan is injured is just plain wrong.

 

[slipknottin]

Are you perhaps training to be a politican? You are giving me such non-answers. Moore is not a 1C. Brassard? Maybe. But he's the only one. Miller can be one if he reaches his potential. But don't pretend that they're covered in C-depth. They're not. I reckon Miller will be the one slotted in between Kreider and Marty. If he grabs the opportunity, amazing, that gives us a more "positive" problem to have when Stepan comes back. But that's also alooot of responsibility straight away in what many are expecting to be your breakout-season.

You are the one who keeps moving the goalposts.

Rangers have better C depth this year than they have had in awhile.

That none of them apart from Stepan are first line centers doesnt mean they are all terrible.

They have arguably 5-6 guys who are NHL centers.

Moore may not be a #1 C, but does that mean he cant play there for a stretch of games? No. Lets not forget Moore was the one playing #1C in the playoffs when Step was hurt

 

[nyr2k2]

I'm not sure if anyone else has responded to this, but no one wants to see anyone injured. The fact that you think people are happy that Stepan is injured is just plain wrong.

Have you ever met anyone from Philadelphia?

 

[Jim Morrison]

You are the one who keeps moving the goalposts.

Rangers have better C depth this year than they have had in awhile.

That none of them apart from Stepan are first line centers doesnt mean they are all terrible.

They have arguably 5-6 guys who are NHL centers.

Again, there's not a snowball's chance in hell you could possibly know that. You hope for it to be true, be there's no way of knowing. I'm not making a case for them being terrible, it's about them even being ready for the NHL.

They have arguably 5-6 prospects that could be NHL centers one day. Stop projecting your own favorable future.

 

[FLYLine27*]

Wow, just terrible.

And now just like that, all these players that were fighting for that center spot have it much easier and might not have that same fight to get a job (miller, hayes)

 

[slipknottin]

They have arguably 5-6 prospects that could be NHL centers one day. Stop projecting your own favorable future.

No, they have 3 prospects who could be NHL centers one day. Miller, Hayes, and Lindberg.

They have 4 other centers who already are or have been NHL centers. Step, Brass, Moore, and Lombardi

Like I said, they dont need all three of the C prospects to be NHL ready, they only need 1 of them to be. And at this point it seems its Miller.

Would it be nice if Hayes/Lindberg showed they were ready too so they didnt need to rely on a guy like Lombardi, sure.

 

[NYR713]

This is a tough situation but I think the team can still keep their head above water until Stepan is back. The team rolls 4 lines and that becomes a bigger positive in a situation like this. If someone like Miller, Moore, Lombardi or Hayes has to step between 2 more experienced or offensively minded guys, like Kreider and MSL, those linemates will help to keep that line afloat and producing. Step should be back by mid November and back in game shape by December.

 

[nyr2k2]

You are the one who keeps moving the goalposts.

Rangers have better C depth this year than they have had in awhile.

That none of them apart from Stepan are first line centers doesnt mean they are all terrible.

They have arguably 5-6 guys who are NHL centers.

Moore may not be a #1 C, but does that mean he cant play there for a stretch of games? No. Lets not forget Moore was the one playing #1C in the playoffs when Step was hurt

No, that's the disconnect here. They don't. You guys include people like Miller and Lindberg in the list of "NHL centers" when they have yet to prove they are NHL centers, and a guy in Lombardi who hasn't been a good NHL player for five years. When I look at the Rangers roster, I see the following proven, succesful NHL centers:

1. Brassard
2. Moore

Then there are the prospects that look like they're ready and a guy who once was good, then sucked, and is hopefully now good again. That's not "5-6 NHL centers." That's two NHL centers and some question marks.

 

[Jim Morrison]

No, they have 3 prospects who could be NHL centers one day. Miller, Hayes, and Lindberg.

They have 4 other centers who already are or have been NHL centers. Step, Brass, Moore, and Lombardi

What? Stepan just broke his leg, isn't that what we're discussing? Yes, he's an NHL center but we wouldn't be having this discussion if he didn't break his leg. And you know who else was great in 09/10? Nik Antropov and Tim Connolly. About the same age too.

 

[Gardner McKay]

last time I checked, your fibula was part of your leg. A hairline fracture would still be considered "broken".

it's the better injury of the two (tibia/fibula), of course. And if it's a stress (hairline) fracture, it's an even better scenario.

The sarcasm is hardly needed. Not all of us are 100% up to date on medical terminology.

 

[slipknottin]

No, that's the disconnect here. They don't. You guys include people like Miller and Lindberg in the list of "NHL centers" when they have yet to prove they are NHL centers, and a guy in Lombardi who hasn't been a good NHL player for five years.

Lombardi played in the NHL, at center, in 2012-2013. Thats two years ago, not five.

Not sure how we are defining NHL center apart from a guy who plays center in the NHL..

 

[slipknottin]

What? Stepan just broke his leg, isn't that what we're discussing? Yes, he's an NHL center but we wouldn't be having this discussion if he didn't break his leg. And you know who else was great in 09/10? Nik Antropov and Tim Connolly. About the same age too.

So they have 3 NHL centers (the fourth is hurt) and 3 potential NHL centers. One of which sure seems to be ready.

The math there says 6-7. I excluded Stepan because he is hurt and wrote 5-6.

Sorry you cant do math

 

[Jim Morrison]

Lombardi played in the NHL, at center, in 2012-2013. Thats two years ago, not five.

Not sure how we are defining NHL center apart from a guy who plays center in the NHL..

And was cut by two teams and bolted to the NLA last season. Stop calling him an NHL-center when he hasn't been an effective one in five years. We could build an all-star team based on past merits. Actually, we've tried many times.

 

[NewLife]

Well the timing is good at least imagine if it would have been PO time.. We have some younger guys knocking on the door and they have one more spot to fight for now early on, someone like Lindberg who I believe is ready or very close to have a chance now to prove his worth which he might not with Step, Brass, Miller and Moore.

 

[slipknottin]

There is a difference between being a NHL player in the last 5 years and being a good NHL player in the last 5 years. His last good season was a 53 point one with the Yotes in 2009-2010.

He played center in the nhl 2 years ago.

Did he not?

5 years ago he was a top 6 center.

 

[Gardner McKay]

If you want to discuss Moore/Lombardi/Miller and their place on this roster due to Steps absence, we have two other threads you can do that in. This is about Stepans injury. Posters shouldn't have to sift through 10 pages of stuff in order to find relevant and updated information.

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

They gotta sink or swim and give it to Hayes and Miller. Even if Hayes isn't ready, shelter his minutes and zone starts. They're the two best skilled centers in our system. If I see Lombardi centering in Stepan's spot I just might drop kick my new smart tv

 

[Charlie Conway]

Sucks, but what can you do? Couldn't believe it when I got the update on my phone.

 

[NYRFAN218]

New York Rangers ‏@NYRangers 20s
#NYR President and GM Glen Sather announced that Derek Stepan suffered a non-displaced fractured fibula & will be sidelined for 4-to-6 weeks

I'd say that's a major bullet dodged all things considering.