It could be worse: Rangers expect McDonagh to miss ‘3-to-4 weeks’

So, here's the primer regarding the Rangers' personnel shuffle approaching Monday's match at the Garden against the Blues:

1. Ryan McDonagh, who suffered a separated left shoulder on an Evander Kane hit during the first period of Saturday's 1-0 shootout defeat to the Jets, is expected to be sidelined in, "the three-to-four week range," according to coach Alain Vigneault. The captain is on injured reserve but not (yet) on long-term injured reserve.

2. Kevin Klein, who suffered a left foot contusion blocking a shot on his first shift of the Winnipeg tilt, will be re-evaluated in three or four days after the swelling recedes, but has not (yet) been placed on IR.

3. Conor Allen and Dylan McIlrath, ninth and 10th in no particular order on the organizational blue line depth chart, will be the Blueshirts' fifth and sixth defensemen against St. Louis following their promotions from the AHL Wolf Pack.

4. Derek Stepan, who skated once again in a non-contact jersey during Sunday's optional practice, has been ruled out of the match against the Blues even as he is "day-to-day."

5. Ryan Malone, a healthy scratch in five of the first 10 games, has been placed on waivers, primarily to give the Blueshirts some cap flexibility, but partially because the veteran hasn't carved out a niche in Vigneault's order.

6. Dan Boyle, sidelined since opening night with a broken hand, skated lightly with a stick, but is likely at least a couple of more weeks from returning.

7. Cam Talbot will be in goal for his second start of the season, and first since absorbing a 5-2 defeat (with an empty-netter) in Columbus on Oct. 11 in the Blueshirts' second game.

Let's face it. The immediate news could have been worse regarding both McDonagh and Klein, even as it appears that the captain will miss somewhere around 15 games. How much worse?

If-surgery-were-needed-worse, that's how much worse it might have been regarding his second left shoulder injury within the last eight months.

Though the Blueshirts will be in a scramble mode for the foreseeable future, this window in which the club will play with just two of its top six defensemen (Dan Girardi and Marc Staal) because John Moore has four games remaining on the suspension he received for his mindless headshot against Erik Haula, does give the organization's decision-makers a good read on what they have (or don't have) in terms of legitimate replacement players.

And as the news at this time doesn't seem catastrophic as it relates to McDonagh, general manager Glen Sather shouldn't feel compelled to rush into a trade for a marginal, stop-gap defenseman that might cost a prospect whose name is spelled J-T-M-I-L-L-E-R.

(Actually, Sather never should feel compelled to rush into a trade for a marginal anything or anyone at the cost of a prospect whose name begins with a capital letter.)

The next two games are at home, the impressive Red Wings due to follow the Blues into the Garden on Wednesday, so that will allow Vigneault to manage his defensive pair matchups. That means a projected Allen-McIlrath pair (behind Girardi-Matt Hunwick and Staal-Mike Kostka) won't be on much at all against the opposition's top two lines or for defensive zone draws.

"It will be the same type of challenge we had [against Winnipeg]," a stoic yet reasonably upbeat Vigneault said. "A couple of our younger defensemen will get the opportunity to play a bigger role. I expect a full team effort. That's what we got [Saturday]."

It will of course be necessary for Hunwick and Kostka to continue the good work they displayed in getting 27:58 and 21:56, respectively in the shootout defeat. It will of course be important for Allen and McIlrath, veterans of three and two NHL games, respectively, to at least hold their own on their shifts so that it doesn't all fall on Saturday's Four Horsemen.

But it will be critical for Girardi and Staal to maintain the level of excellence they displayed against the Jets with big minutes and critical matchups coming their way, especially so for Staal, who had his best game of the year by far on Saturday and appears to be rising from the muck in which he'd been stuck for much of the season's first three weeks.

"Some people have said that he's been sort of a slow starter in the past. I've only been here for two years but right now, the last two games, this is the Marc Staal that I got used to when he's at the top of his game," said Vigneault. "Right now, with the personnel that we have, we need him to play at his best."

Which is what the Rangers need from top to bottom.

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