The New York Rangers have announced that defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk is sidelined for two to four weeks with a shoulder injury.
OFFICIAL: #NYR defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk will be sidelined for two-to-four weeks with a shoulder separation suffered on Monday, Dec. 10 against Tampa Bay.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 12, 2018
Kevin Shattenkirk Injured
Shattenkirk separated his shoulder after taking a hit from Tampa Bay Lightning forward J.T. Miller early in the second period on Monday. The Rangers ended up losing the game, 6-3.
Shattenkirk has scored one goal and seven assists for eight points. His possession numbers are 48.8 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of 4.5.
The New Rochelle, New York native has played for the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers in his nine-year NHL career. He has 74 goals and 255 assists for 329 career points in 565 career games. Colorado originally drafted Shattenkirk in the first round, 14th overall of the 2007 NHL draft.
He left the arena with his arm in a sling and never returned after the Miller check. Shattenkirk is in the second of a four-year deal that carries him until the 2020-21 season.
What This Means for the Future
The injury is another setback for the lifelong Rangers fan. He’s struggled to generate the offence that made him a coveted free agent a couple of off-seasons ago. He came to club to help his hometown team make a playoff push, but saw the team start a rebuild and has struggled this season.
He hasn’t been on the power-play since Nov. 9 against the Detroit Red Wings. Shattenkirk was on the third pairing with Fredrik Claesson. That’s not ideally the spot for such a highly-touted defender.
Brendan Smith will slide into the lineup to replace Shattenkirk. However, there’s a chance Ryan Lindgren or Libor Hajek could get a look. Adam McQuaid‘s impending will also have him the mix.
The 29-year-old has looked slower in this season in a league that has gotten faster. Shattenkirk has worked hard and is a great teammate. Hopefully he can bounce back and start to produce like he has in the past.
New York Rangers defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk during the first period of the NHL game at Gila River Arena on January 6, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona.
