Kevin Klein out 3-4 weeks with an upper body injury
Does Rangers general manager Glen Sather have a crystal ball? If so, he pulled off one heck of a move getting defenseman Keith Yandle to solidify his blueline.
This is because defenseman Kevin Klein will be out 3-4 weeks with an upper body injury from blocking an Alex Ovechkin shot in a 3-1 win at Washington on Wednesday. And he seemed generally OK with fan support. Per his Twitter feed.
Thank you for all the kind words. #speedyrecovery
— Kevin Klein (@Realkevinklein8) March 12, 2015
He has set career highs this season with nine goals and 24 points in 65 games. OK, his nine goals aren’t just a career high, they’re more than double his career high. And he’s playing 18:29 per night.
Is Klein, New York’s best defenseman? No. But he’s a pretty darn good one And being without him, and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist certainly doesn’t help – though both are expected to be back before the playoffs.
Also, it’s not like the NHL leading Rangers don’t have some sort of cushion to withstand these injuries. Plus, they have a ton of defensive depth, thanks to that Sather guy.
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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
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