As long as there are no setbacks, Marc Staal was expecting to be ready to rejoin the Rangers for Thursday night’s game against the Blue Jackets in Columbus. Of course, whether the veteran defenseman is put right back into the lineup following his Nov. 9 ankle surgery will be a decision made by coach David Quinn.
“We’ll see how these other six [defensemen] are going,” Quinn said before Staal missed his 12th straight game Monday night against the visiting Golden Knights. “They’ve all got to earn their keep. The ‘D’ corps has played well. It’s been a good balance with all three pairings.