DALLAS — A full prognosis won’t be available until Marc Staal sees the Rangers doctors in New York sometime in the next few days, but it has to be at least somewhat encouraging that the veteran defenseman did not suffer another concussion.
Staal was diagnosed with a “cervical strain” after being plowed into the corner boards by Predators defenseman Alexei Emelin on what was an unpenalized hit in Nashville on Saturday. With at least three previous concussions during his NHL career, it was a scary sight to see Staal on the ice holding his head.
The 31-year-old did travel for his team’s 2-1 loss to the Stars on Monday night, but he remained back at the hotel. Coach Alain Vigneault called him “day-to-day,” but didn’t have much more of a timeline.
“I can only know that once he gets checked out by our doctors,” Vigneault said. “We all know that he has had a history. So we’ll see how the next couple days go and I’ll be able to tell you more probably in the next few days.”
The other Rangers’ victim of an unpenalized hit to the head on Saturday was Jimmy Vesey, and the 24-year-old winger was confirmed to have suffered a concussion, forcing him out on Monday night. He was hurt when Filip Forsberg elbowed him in the mouth, drawing no penalty at the time but later earning Forsberg a three-game suspension.
Vesey was going through the concussion protocol, and was working out at the rink on Monday morning. He was expected to fly back with the team on Tuesday.
Vigneault made it clear he had rather strong opinions about both injuries coming without penalties, but just as he did Saturday night, he chose to bite his lip rather than criticize the officiating and incur what would likely be a hefty fine.
“Internally, I have a lot of things I’d like to say about that, but I won’t do it because it’s not effective for my team or our game preparation,” he said. “So I’m not going to do it. It would be good for you guys [the media], but I’m not going to do it.”
Forward Vinni Lettieri took Vesey’s roster spot after being recalled from AHL Hartford on Sunday. Defenseman Steven Kampfer came in after he had been a healthy scratch for the previous five games and 22 of the past 27.