Now it makes sense, as opposed to making cents, why the Rangers did not place Derek Stepan on long-term injured reserve and clear temporary cap space that could have been used to recall a defenseman during last week’s three-game trip through western Canada.
Stepan sustained two broken ribs as a result of the hit he took from Matt Beleskey in Boston on Nov. 27. Under the collective bargaining agreement, a player on LTI is ineligible to play for at least 10 games and 24 days.
That means Stepan would not have been available until the Blueshirts’ Dec.