KREIDER NEEDS RIB SURGERY
Life without forward Chris Kreider may be longer than expected for the Rangers.
On Friday, general manager Jeff Gorton announced Kreider, sidelined by a blood clot in his right arm, will undergo surgery to have his rib resected and remain out indefinitely. A rib resection — a procedure that can be used to treat thoracic outlet syndrome, which was not referenced in the team’s statement — typically involves removing part of the rib closest to the collarbone to clear up space so the blood vessels are no longer compressed.
Though the 26-year-old Kreider was already expected to miss a significant stretch, this might push his time table back further, according to medical experts.
Dr. Tony Wanich, assistant clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at Seton Hall, and Dr. Michael Zervos, thoracic surgeon at NYU Langone Health, neither of whom operated on Kreider and have no knowledge of his specific case, said direct recovery from a rib resection does not actually take that long, as the incisions heal pretty quickly.
The impending rehab process, however, could delay Kreider’s eventual comeback.
There are positive bounce-back stories associated with this procedure. Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos had a rib resection in early April 2016 and re- turned to the ice for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals seven weeks later. Stamko’s teammate, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, underwent the surgery in September 2015 and was back in less than two months as well.
Both doctors said two-to-three months seemed like a reasonable timetable. Wanich estimated Kreider has a 70 percent chance of returning within two months of the operation, and a 90 percent chance within three months.
Zervos cautioned that the two-month evaluation was loose.
“To say that he’s going to play in February, I don’t know about that,” he said. Asked whether he believes it’s conceivable the Rangers shut down Kreider for the season, Zervos answered “yes” without hesitation.
“It’s pretty serious. … He’s going to need to be on blood thinners after the surgery. That puts him at risk for injuries, getting hurt on the ice, and if he needs to be on blood thinners for two to three months after the surgery, he’s not going to be able to get on the ice,” he said.
If Kreider is placed on long-term injured reserve, the Rangers could use the remaining cap space on his $4,625,000 annual average salary.
But such a development would obviously change a lot for the 2114-5 Blueshirts, currently fourth in a competitive Metropolitan division and battling for a playoff spot.
Kreider, a consistent source of offense who led the team in goals last year (28), has appeared in 37 games this season and registered 11 goals and 11 assists.
Since he left a game against the Capitals with the injury Dec. 27, the Rangers are 1-2, with their victory coming in overtime at the Winter Classic. Coach Alain Vigneault has been experimenting with strategies to replace one of his premier playmakers.
For their game against the Coyotes on Saturday, the top line will consist of center Mika Zibanejad and wingers J.T. Miller and Pavel Buchnevich.
Miller will try to play the role of Kreider, who built great chemistry alongside the other two.