Derek Stepan was not present this afternoon as the New York Rangers practiced , in preparation for tomorrow's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Stepan took a shot off the inside of his leg in last night's contest against the Carolina Hurricanes, and appeared hurt on the play.

Following the block, Stepan was unable to get to his feet again and was basically crawling on the ice. Stepan didn't miss a beat, and was even out for his next shift, and seemed fine. However, during the post-game, Stepan was seen limping around the locker room, and appeared to still be in pain.

It seems as if the injury may be more serious than originally noted, but no injury updates have been given by the Rangers. The Rangers can not afford to lose Stepan for an extended period of time, as his chemistry with Marian Gaborik and Artem Anisimov has been fantastic. We will continue to follow this, and update you guys as soon as it is released.

UPDATE: Derek Stepan's X-rays came back negative, and he plans to play tomorrow. He stated it was swollen today, and wanted to rest it. He will skate tomorrow morning to see how the ankle holds up.