Here are today’s news and links:

Rangers News:

• Mollie Walker hears that although Sammy Blais could’ve played through the injury that held him out of the first three games of the season, he was held out of the lineup as a precaution (NY Post)
• Walker also wonders whether or not Vitali Kravtsov will have a regular spot in the lineup when everyone is healthy (NY Post)
• Colin Stephenson made the same observation regarding the excess forwards with only so many lineup spots to go around (Newsday)
• Arthur Staple heard from the players that make the team’s top power play unit one of the league’s most dominant (The Athletic)/

Around the NHL:

• Gary Bettman stated that if the league’s players pay back the remaining escrow payments before the ends of the season, the salary cap could increase by about $4 million rather than the previously projected $1 million for next season (TSN)
• Washington Capitals’ center Evgeny Kuznetsov has been suspended one game for high sticking Vancouver Canucks’ defenseman Kyle Burroughs (NBC Sports)/