New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal isn’t just skating again; it turns out that he will also join the team on a five-game road trip as he recovers from a concussion, New York Newsday’s Steve Zipay reports.
Naturally, this doesn’t mean that he’s certain for a swift return, yet it’s still a promising sign.
The 26-year-old has been sidelined since Dec. 7 with the injury. That issue happened thanks to a hit by Reid Boucher of the New Jersey Devils:
Staal resumed skating on Dec. 22. It’s been an injury-plagued couple seasons for Staal, as he seemingly just got over a frightening eye injury that evoked legitimate concerns about his career.
Staal has played in 30 games this season, collecting three points and a -7 rating.
The Rangers probably welcome any reason for optimism as they prepare for their five-game trip, which begins in Washington on Friday. They just completed a trying nine-game homestand, which ended on a nice note (two consecutive wins) but was largely a failure.