For his 23rd birthday, Libor Hajek is getting another shot to prove himself with the Rangers.

The defenseman will make his season debut Thursday against the Capitals as part of a new-look third pairing for a Rangers team that has taken some hits on the blue line just nine games into the season.

The left-handed Hajek will skate with Anthony Bitetto — who made his Rangers debut Monday — on his left as the third pair that previously belonged to Tony DeAngelo and Brendan Smith or Jack Johnson through the first eight games of the season. DeAngelo has since played his last game for the organization, as he awaits a potential trade following Saturday’s postgame altercation with Alex Georgiev, while Smith suffered an upper-body injury Monday to join Johnson (groin strain) in the trainer’s room.

It was Hajek who had his first two seasons in the NHL derailed by injuries, but now he is the one getting back into the lineup because of them.

“Libor’s had a tough go of it here over the last few years with injuries and that’s really the reason that he’s kind of in the situation he’s in,” coach David Quinn said Wednesday after practice. “He’s got all the physical tools. Sometimes, he can get in his own way mentally. He’s a guy that really wants to please the coaches, he doesn’t want to let his teammates down. He’s such an incredible person, I think sometimes that may get in the way of his play. 

“I think I sense a little bit of a different swagger to him right now. That’s all part of growing up. He’s a young kid. He’s got a ton of potential and we think very highly of him. We’re excited about watching him play tomorrow.”

After being the key part of the Ryan McDonagh trade in 2018, Hajek made his Rangers debut in 2019 with a promising five-game stretch before sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury. He returned for the start of last season and bounced around partnering with Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba and DeAngelo until a knee sprain sidelined him in December. He played just one game the rest of the season — in January before being sent to AHL Hartford — meaning Thursday will be his first NHL game in over a year.

“Because of the coronavirus, it’s been a long break,” Hajek said. “Being more comfortable, I think that’s the most important thing for me. Feel comfortable and trust in myself and be confident. That’s what I need more and keep working on that, having more confidence.”

Since Hajek made his debut — with Marc Staal, Kevin Shattenkirk, Brady Skjei, Neal Pionk and DeAngelo as the other five defensemen — Fox (22), Ryan Lindgren (22) and K’Andre Miller (21) have all solidified themselves as important parts of the Rangers’ future on the blue line along with Trouba (26). Now Hajek will get another opportunity to join them in that pursuit.

“Young is a relative word on our team,” Quinn said. “When you’re 25 in this league you still should be considered young, but on our team, you’re an old guy. These guys have played well.” 

The oldest member of the new defensive corps, Bitetto, had been skating with Hajek on the taxi squad before being called up for Monday’s game. The 30-year-old, who grew up on Long Island as a diehard Rangers fan and called his debut Monday “a speechless moment,” believes he and Hajek can be a good match together.

“The good thing is we’ve been practicing with everybody for the majority of the time here, so Libor is someone we’ve had plenty of time to practice with,” Bitetto said. “We’re both confident, we’re both excited and it’s going to be a good test for not only us but the team for [Thursday].”