All was right with the Rangers’ training camp world on Saturday. For there was Mats Zuccarello on the ice, skating without limitations and with a trademark smile on his face five months after suffering a brain contusion and hairline fracture of the skull in Game 5 of the first round playoff series against the Penguins.
“Mats Zuccarello is back on the ice, and I liked seeing him out there,” coach Alain Vigneault said without prompting to open his press briefing. “We all know what he had to go through, and now he’s back with his teammates, with no restrictions.
“It’s a great day for the New York Rangers.”
Zuccarello was hospitalized for four days after he was stuck on the left side of the head by a Ryan McDonagh shot late in the first period of the April 24 match at the Garden. Sidelined for the remainder of the tournament, Zuccarello temporarily lost feeling in his left arm as well as the ability to speak.
But the 28-year-old Norwegian — who celebrated with a flourish after rifling one top shelf — has recovered fully and has received clearance by physicians to continue his career. The top-six winger won’t play in either of the club’s first two preseason games, Monday at the Garden against the Devils or Tuesday in Philadelphia against the Flyers, but will get the call after that.
“I want to make sure he gets four or five good practices under his belt,” Vigneault said. “After the first couple, I’ll get him into two or three of the final four.”
Vigneault said he expects to use “four-to-six” players in both ends of the opening back-to-back.
“There are a handful of guys we need to see and evaluate,” he said.
After the first two, the Rangers are in Boston on Thursday and at the Devils next Saturday. Following that, the plan is for the Blueshirts to cut down to “below 30 players” for the final two exhibitions at home, Sept. 28 against the Flyers and Sept. 30 against the Bruins.
Vigneault lauded Rick Nash (“Better than last year”) and Dom Moore (“Phenomenal shape”) among the veterans and Brady Skjei among the youngsters for their strong results from Friday’s on-ice testing. “There were real positive signs from a lot, and without naming names, there was room for improvement from others,” the coach said. “[Conditioning coach Reg Grant] is on it immediately.”
Kevin Klein delivered the most notable hit of the day, crushing Richard Nejezchleb into the wall with enough force that the prospect’s name plate from the back of his jersey stuck on the glass.
