Rangers' Rupp Out 4-6 Weeks Following Knee Surgery

Mike Rupp underwent successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus today.  According to Andrew Gross, Rupp is expected to be out 4-6 weeks. Hopefully when Rupp returns he will be able to show why the Rangers gave him the three-year, $4.5 mil contract this summer.  Andre Deveaux has done an excellent job filling in thus far and will continue to get his chance while Rupp works his way back. 

Avery To Start Montreal With Wolski Out (Groin); Rupp Knee Surgery Looming

The moment many have been waiting for has arrived as Andrew Gross is reporting that Sean Avery will be in the lineup tomorrow against Montreal.  Wolski is having an MRI on the groin and the results will be out tomorrow.  The New York Rangers will be without Wojtek Wolski who is out once again with a groin injury.  Should there be anything serious then he would likely be placed on IR and someone like Mats Zuccarello should get the call.

No word on where Avery will play, but look for him to play on the fourth line with Christensen and Deveaux or with Boyle and Prust depending on who coach John Tortorella uses to fill Wolski’s spot.  Avery being reunited with Boyle and Prust would give him more ice time and a line he has worked well on in the past.

In other injury news, Mike Rupp is going to have arthroscopic knee surgery next week where they will determine how long he is going to be on the shelf.  This is what Rupp was hoping to avoid, but better to get in there and fix the issue instead of going off and on trying to play through it.

Rupp's Knee Becoming Increasing Concern For Rangers

The New York Rangers signed forward Mike Rupp this summer hoping to add some grit, a little offense down the roster and someone to take a little of the fighting burden off Brandon Prust.  Rupp has been unable to get much going early in the season dealing with a “cranky” knee that has caused him to miss the last two games and the concern over that knee is only growing by the day to the point where surgery appears to now be in the discussion even if coach John Tortorella won't publicly acknowledge that piece. 

Rupp is said to be seeking another opinion, likely to avoid going under the knife, but having surgery might be best option.  By getting the problem fixed now he can focus on recovery and coming back later in the season at 100% instead of continuing to try and rest and play with it and having it nag him all season. 

No Further Discipline For Wolski?; Rupp, Anisimov, Del Zotto Missing At Practice

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun tweeted that there is no disciplinary hearing scheduled for Wojtek Wolski in regards to his high hit on Daniel Alfredsson yesterday, so he does not believe there will be any further discipline.  Somewhat surprising given the call on the ice and the fact that Alfredsson is out today because of the hit, but good news for the Rangers as Wolski was instrumental in two goal yesterday.

In practice news there was no Mike Rupp, Artem Anisimov or Michael Del Zotto on ice during practice (via Rangers twitter). Rupp has been dealing with a "cranky" knee, Del Zotto has had a sore hip and Anisimov is more than likely the result of soreness from yesterday's meeting with the glass.

On the good news front there was consistency with the forward groupings today as these top two lines showed some spark yesterday.  Andrew Gross reported the lines from practice ...

Wolski-Stepan-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Richards-Callahan
Fedotenko-Boyle-Prust
Deveaux, Christensen skating together

Rangers Finally Found Right Tough Guy in Mike Rupp

The New York Rangers have invested big money in each of the past three offseasons, trying to find a heavyweight who can both fight and bring toughness to the team.

The first experiment was with Donald Brashear in 2009. That failed in record time, and the Rangers ended up trading him the following summer just to eliminate his contract from the books. The following summer saw the Rangers give noted fighter Derek Boogaard a four-year, $6.5 million contract. Boogaard’s first season with the Rangers was not what anyone hoped. He died in May of an accidental overdose of oxycodone and alcohol, so we will never know what could have changed over the course of his contract. But the fit never felt quite right.

With the loss of Boogaard, Rangers general manager Glen Sather took another swing at finding the heavyweight he has been searching for. Sather signed center Mike Rupp away from the Penguins to a three-year, $4.5 million contract.

After only one preseason game, Friday night's 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils, it appears Sather finally has gotten the right guy for the job. The differences in what Rupp brings to the team were apparent immediately Friday night at Newark.

Rupp has the skating ability to keep up with the play, which allows him to be the intimidating force by using his body to punish the opposition. Rupp took each and every opportunity he had to deliver a hit, and the effectiveness he has will play well with coach John Tortorella’s fore-checking approach to create offense for Rupp’s linemates.

Beyond that, Rupp is known for ability in front to screen and pester opposing goaltenders, which is something that the Rangers have not been good at over the past few seasons. If Rupp can not only add that for himself but also teach players such as Brian Boyle how to do the same, it can pay dividends throughout the lineup.

The biggest complaint that most people had about Boogaard, besides his contract, was that he did not have that instinct to protect his teammates in the same way that a Colton Orr did. Boogaard would fight any heavyweight out there but was reluctant to fight smaller guys. That left the protection duties mainly to Brandon Prust.

Rupp, meanwhile, has no hesitation to defend his teammates from whomever as he showed Friday night when New Jersey’s Eric Boulton was taking some liberties. Rupp immediately took action in a great fight. That instinct from Rupp will make Prust one of the biggest beneficiaries because Prust’s surgically repaired shoulder will need to do less fighting.

The past two years, Rangers fans have had their frustrations with the amount of money Sather has given out to enforcers. But Sather has made the right decision this summer in giving the money to a tough guy who brings more to the ice than just fighting ability. Rupp’s combination of some/limited offensive contribution, fit for the Tortorella system and instincts to defend his teammates make him a great fit for New York.