The Rangers were forced to place their fourth-unit anchor on injured reserve or long-term injured reserve.
Shawn Duertz went on IR with a lower-body injury ahead of the Blueshirts’ game against the Flyers on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
The defense is the last area of the Rangers lineup that hasn’t lost a player to IR, but Durzi has struggled with a few things over the course of a few weeks.
The 28-year-old Blueliner’s IR designation is retroactive to Oct. 26, meaning he has exceeded the seven-day minimum and can be activated at any time.
“I didn’t know he was going to be [upcoming Seattle-Western Canada] “I think it’s all going to come down to him progressing,” head coach Mike Sullivan said of Durzi before the Rangers beat the Flyers 3-2 on Thursday.
There was speculation that Durzi might have suffered a hand injury after he blocked a shot with his hand in the Rangers’ win over the Ducks last month. A source refuted that claim and blamed the injury on his lower body.
Duerz has missed several practices recently, which the team described as “maintenance,” but Sullivan later acknowledged that his second pair of defensemen are battling injuries. Duerz hasn’t missed every practice and early skate since the injury, but his dip in performance may have something to do with it.
As a result, Scott Morrow lost his third straight game Thursday. He continued skating to the right side of Albert Smits.
Dylan Garland stopped 23 of 25 shots he faced in his sixth win of the season.
The Rangers placed James Reimer on waivers Thursday as they expect Jonas Korpisalo to return from a foot infection that has sidelined him since the start of the season.
“I believe he is,” Sullivan said when asked if Korpisalo would be on the Rangers trip.
Despite being waived, Reimer backed Garland against the Flyers.
In his first practice assignment with the Wolfpack on Wednesday, Korpisalo made 34 saves in Hartford’s 4-1 loss to Hershey.
The Rangers have received good reports from Korpisalo, and depending on how he feels, he could play as early as Friday in Seattle.
The Rangers are scheduled to leave the ice on Friday with a trip to Seattle.