Five players already have made their NHL debuts for the Rangers this season, and they might soon be adding one more to that list.
Forward Morgan Barron was summoned from AHL Hartford on Friday, and the Blueshirts’ 2017 sixth-round pick could be in the lineup Saturday at Nassau Coliseum when they look to avenge Thursday’s playoff-damaging loss to the Islanders.
“It’s a lot of fun watching a guy experience his first NHL game. … And to me, Morgan has earned his opportunity,” Rangers coach David Quinn said after practice Friday.
Defenseman Tarmo Reunanen, who made his NHL debut with the Rangers on March 15, also was recalled from the Wolf Pack. Quinn added “there’s a good chance” both rookies will be in Saturday’s lineup due to injuries.
Fourth-line winger Brett Howden is done for the season after suffering a fractured foot Thursday night, while Chris Kreider, Ryan Lindgren and Jacob Trouba all have been listed as day-to-day with injuries.
Barron skated in Howden’s spot on the fourth line Friday alongside Kevin Rooney and Julien Gauthier. The 6-foot-4 forward out of Cornell has registered 10 goals and 11 assists in 21 AHL games this season.
Morgan Barron’s NHL debut is on tap for Saturday. Getty Images“I’m confident in my abilities to go out there and contribute,” Barron said. “With my size, I can hopefully go out there and be someone who can get up and down the ice, and be trusted on both sides of the puck and bring a little bit of physicality.”
Quinn said Alexandar Georgiev will start in goal Saturday. He doesn’t believe Kreider (lower-body) or Lindgren (upper-body) will be out long-term with their injuries. Trouba practiced Friday after missing five games with a presumed concussion, but Quinn said “we’ll know a lot more” Saturday about a possible return to the lineup.
Brendan Smith on the likelihood of Saturday’s game being the Rangers’ final visit to Nassau Coliseum, with UBS Arena slated to open next season: “I love playing there. I think the atmosphere is awesome. Obviously, it’s not a full capacity, but those games, it’s like a playoff game every time you play them. So it’s definitely an exciting moment for me.”
