Another day with some positive news for star defenseman Marc Staal, but the future for Michael Sauer looks a little less bright.

Marc Staal

Marc Staal
Staal was participating in practice today wearing a no-contact jersey and was on a defensive line with Tim Erixon. We can only hope Staal is remaining a leader on the practice ice and helping his fellow defensemen improve their game. Word is Dan Girardi is doing a great job in this respect as well.

Michael Sauer
Sauer’s continuing struggles with concussion symptoms has resulted in him being officially placed on the Rangers injured reserve list, according to the official New York Rangers website. With two star defensemen down, the Rangers are digging deep into their Connecticut Whale reserves for young blood.

Mike Rupp
Rupp’s return may be closer than we think. He practiced today with a full-contact jersey, and could be cleared to return to the lineup later this week.

Wojtek Wolski
Can you believe it? An update on Wolski’s status for the first time in weeks. Not much to report, but Wolski was also practicing today in a non-contact jersey. Wolski has only played in nine games so far this season as a result of a sports hernia.

Henrik Lundqvist

Henrik Lundqvist
Yes, Lundqvist is not injured in the capacity that it stops him from playing but he reports he is a “little sore” from taking a shot in the collarbone yesterday in the Dallas Stars game. To compensate he will wear extra padding for protection. But The King is confident he will be OK, stating in practice today that he will start in goal for tomorrow’s game. “I’ll be focused on the game, not the pain.”

Looks like we dodged a bullet bigger than we can imagine.