Jacob Trouba returns for the Rangers after an 11-game absence.
Jacob Trouba will play in his first game since March 4 when the New York Rangers host the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. The Rangers’ captain missed 11 games due to a lower-body ailment.
His return comes one game after Ryan Lindgren returned from his own lower-body injury in a 3-2 shootout victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.
So the Rangers defense is virtually back to full strength, albeit Erik Gustafsson is still out with an upper-body ailment. Just two games ago, the Rangers won a wild 6-5 overtime thriller against the Philadelphia Flyers despite missing three regulars.
The Rangers went 9-2-0 without Trouba, and he’s eager to return.
“A lot of sitting and waiting,” Trouba explained to the New York Post. “It was good, the team is obviously playing really well.”
Jacob Trouba returns to the Rangers lineup against the Coyotes.
During Trouba’s absence, the Rangers scored some big wins. They defeated the Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, and Avalanche on the road and the Florida Panthers at home, securing their current first-place finish in the NHL standings.
Zac Jones, who entered the lineup when Trouba went down and has played exceptionally well, will start against the Coyotes because Gustafsson is still injured. Chad Ruhwedel will be a healthy scratch after playing five consecutive games.
Braden Schneider, who improved his game after moving from the third-pairing to Trouba’s slot with K’Andre Miller, is likely to pair with Jones against the Coyotes.
“A lot of those guys have taken a lot, and it’s been fun for me to watch them grow, especially ‘Schneids,'” Trouba added. “He’s really stepped up and taken advantage of the ice time and the minutes.”
Trouba has 22 points (three goals, 19 assists) in 60 games this season and ranks third on the Rangers in ice time, averaging 21:46 per game. He also leads the team with 170 blocked shots and ranks second with 164 hits.
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