Recovering Zibanejad ready to make preseason debut

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Mika Zibanejad spent the week before training camp lying in bed sweating and shaking from an illness. It kept the center from playing in the Rangers’ first three preseason games, but he was finally preparing for his debut, which is set to take place Saturday night against the Devils in Newark.

“Back on my feet now, been getting some skates in and getting back into it,” Zibanejad said after Friday’s practice in Tarrytown, before some of his teammates lost to the Islanders, 2-1, later that night at Webster Bank Arena. “Feels good to be able to play [Saturday].”

A lot is expected of Zibanejad this season, and it wasn’t a good feeling to be watching the first few preseason games. It brought him right back to last year, when the broken leg he suffered on Nov. 20 derailed his first season as a Ranger.

“It just reminds me of the injury last year, sitting and watching,” he said. “I really want to get out there and play and get a chance to do that [Saturday].”

The 24-year-old Swede was a restricted free agent this summer, but general manager Jeff Gorton believed in him enough to trade away top center Derek Stepan and then sign Zibanejad to a five-year, $26.75 million deal, carrying an annual salary-cap hit of $5.35 million.

“Expectations are higher on him this year,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “He understands the pressure and the accountability that comes with that. We expect a lot from him, there’s no doubt.”

Goalie Ondrej Pavelec played his second preseason game, stopping 12 of 14 Islanders shots through the first two periods before being replaced by Chris Nell. He has only faced 24 shots in his four periods of play, but said he is settling in to his presumed role as the backup behind Henrik Lundqvist.

“Feeling better every day,” Pavelec said after the game. “Training camp is a process.”

According to Vigneault, Lundqvist is set to start Saturday in Newark and play half the game, and then play his first full game Monday against the Flyers at the Garden. That leaves Pavelec to play the whole game of the preseason finale, Tuesday against the Flyers in Philadelphia.

Vigneault said winger Jesper Fast was doing “extremely well” as he recovers from offseason hip surgery, and he is on track for his predicted return in late October.

“I’m hoping if everything goes right, in the next couple of weeks, he’ll be joining the group here with a normal-colored sweater,” Vigneault said. “So 14 days maybe, something like that.”