The New York Rangers have been without Rick Nash since late January, and there is a chance that the forward could miss another two weeks with a leg injury. Nash was originally diagnosed as "day-to-day" with his injury, but he has not been able to practice with the team since getting hurt.
The forward was originally injured on Jan. 22, suffering a bone bruise in his left leg. He had an MRI on the leg last week but is still not healthy enough to get back on the ice. The 31-year-old has been able to do some workouts while dealing with the bone bruise, including upper-body work in the gym. Coach Alain Vigneault said that the team "hopes" that Nash can return to the team in "10 days to two weeks."
Nash suffered the bone bruise after blocking a shot against the Carolina Hurricanes, and he has not been back on the ice since then for the Rangers. The Rangers described Nash's status in February as "week-to-week," and the team is hoping that his return will come soon. Nash previously tried to skate in practice on Feb. 3, but after that, the team opted to keep him rested so that he could recover fully from the injury.
"I could tell that something was wrong," Nash said. "I tried again the next day and it got worse. It's just something where it's gonna take more time than we thought."
The Rangers have not suffered too much over the last stretch without Nash, as they have gone 7-2-1 over their last 10 games. The team acquired Eric Staal at the trade deadline, and he can help make up for the absence of Nash for the time being. When Nash returns, it's likely that he will play alongside Staal on one of the top lines for the Rangers.
Nash has been productive for the team while healthy this season, putting up 12 goals and 21 assists in 45 games. He had a career-best 42 goals during the regular season last year, and the Rangers would love to get that production out of him again once he returns. The Rangers offense has been performing well without Nash, as the team has put up nearly three goals per game this season.
The Rangers are currently second in the Eastern Conference with 80 points. The team is 37-20-6, sitting 16 points behind the Washington Capitals in the division standings. The Rangers hope that the addition of Staal and the eventual return of Nash can give the team a major boost for the playoffs.
