The New York Rangers will see the return of 19-year-old forward Anthony Duclair to the lineup for their game tonight at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Rangers (7-6-4) will make Duclair active for the first time in three games in place of Jesper Fast, while forward Lee Stempniak was relegated to fourth-line duty.
"I'm not used to sitting," Duclair said, according to NHL.com. "It's definitely new for me. It's a process you have to go through as a young guy coming into the League. You can see throughout the League some guys sit out and it's alright. They have time to develop. For myself, I have to make sure when I'm in there I have to make an impact."
Duclair is tied for seventh among NHL rookies in assists with five. He is also eighth in plus-minus, sporting a +4 rating.
The Rangers have had much internal debate on how to handle Duclair - he's too young for the AHL and if they send him down to juniors, he won't be eligible to return to the NHL until next year.
"I think it's better for me to stay up here. To be honest, it doesn't matter if I'm not playing every game. Practicing with these type of players every day and being around a pro environment definitely will help me in the future. I think if I go back to junior I don't have much to prove there anymore."
Meanwhile, Ryan Callahan, former fourth-round draft pick and one-time captain of the Broadway Blueshirts, will make his first appearance at Madison Square Garden as a member of the opposing team.
"I'm going to go in there and try to get the two points and get out of there," Callahan, who played for New York for seven seasons, told Tampa Bay's website. "It's going to be different so I just want to embrace it and enjoy it."
Callahan was traded from New York to Tampa in March as part of a deal that included Martin St. Louis. He was shipped out due largely to a contract impasse he and the Rangers seemed unable to resolve.
"There were a lot of things said through the media in the previous two months so I knew it was a possibility," Callahan said. "We were trying to work out a deal and it didn't happen so they decided to move on."
Thus far this season, Callahan has six goals and seven assists in 13 games of work. He plays alongside Lightning captain and perennial contender for title of Best Player in the League, Steven Stamkos, on the top line.
Stamkos has points in five straight games and eight of his past nine. Callahan has seven points in his past five.
You can listen to the Rangers broadcast HERE and the Lightning broadcast HERE.
