Pavel Buchnevich Is Close, You Guys

Per the New York Daily News, Pavel Buchnevich is skating in a normal jersey during practice today -- meaning he’s been cleared for contact.

There were whispers Buchnevich, Mika Zibanejad and Rick Nash were all on their way back sooner rather than later, and seeing Buchnevich finally skating in a normal jersey is a big boost.

Buchnevich was originally day-to-day, then it was roughly three weeks and now it’s January. I guess it’s just good news he’s back. The Rangers desperately miss his offense but also his two-way play.

If you want a more concrete idea of what the lines should look like skip to about the 38-minute mark of Thursday’s podcast.

As for right now, though, the Rangers are getting healthier.