Rangers ‘err on side of caution’ with injured J.T. Miller, Sam Carrick
When the New York Rangers took to the ice for practice Tuesday at training camp, two of their top four centers were missing. Captain J.T. Miller and gritty fourth-liner Sam Carrick each sat out practice with a lower-body injury.
The good news, though, is that neither veteran appears to be seriously hurt. Per coach Mike Sullivan each is day to day.
“Obviously, we’re going to err on the side of caution with all these guys with where we’re at,” he explained after practice.
The Rangers are one week away from the start of the 2025-26 season. There are still two preseason games on the docket, though it’s unclear whether Miller and/or Carrick might play Thursday against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden or Saturday in Boston against the Bruins.
Miller came up lame after extending himself to play the puck during a drill during practice Monday. It appeared he could be badly hurt when he struggled to push himself up off the ice and then gingerly skated off to the dressing room. But Sullivan confirmed Monday night that Miller was day to day, and that was reiterated by the coach the following afternoon.
Sullivan has said a few times in camp that he prefers for his veterans to play three preseason games. Miller and Carrick each appeared in one preseason game, so far. But there’s no way either will play if not healthy before the regular-season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 7.
Mike Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, Alexis Lafreniere, Adam Fox, and Vladislav Gavrikov are all healthy but none played more than one of the first four preseason games, so far. Artemi Panarin, who missed time earlier in camp with a lower-body injury, practiced again Tuesday. However, there’s no word if he’ll get into either of the remaining two preseason games.
Defenseman Braden Schneider made his preseason debut Monday and assisted on Noah Laba’s overtime goal in a 3-2 win against the Islanders. Schneider was held out of all camp scrimmages and preseason games until Monday after he had shoulder surgery in April to repair a torn labrum.
Rangers coach knows Mika Zibanejad ‘capable’ of shifting back to center if/when needed
The Rangers made another round of cuts Tuesday, trimming the training camp roster to 29 players. But they had enough centers to practice, even without Miller and Carrick.
In fact, you know who took Miller’s spot in the middle of his line? Zibanejad, that’s who.
Now, that shouldn’t come as a surprise since Zibanejad has played the vast majority of his 14 seasons at center. But the 32-year-old is set to start this season on right wing on a line with Miller.
Sullivan was asked after practice if there’ll be times Zibanejad shifts back to the middle for a stretch.
“Yes. I know Mika can play center. He’s an excellent center iceman,” Sullivan responded. “Nothing’s etched in stone. We’re beginning to go on a journey as a team and we’re going to have to figure out how do we have success week to week, month to month.
“So, we know Mika is capable of playing in the middle and there potentially could be a scenario where we do move him in the middle.”
Zibanejad centered Lafreniere and Gabe Perreault at practice. Trocheck was flanked by Panarin and Will Cuylle. Juuso Parssinen was the 3C with Conor Sheary and Taylor Raddysh on the wings. Carrick was replaced by Noah Laba on the fourth line, with Matt Rempe and Adam Edstrom as the towering wings.
Brett Berard and Jonny Brodzinski rotated in with the forward group Tuesday.
