New York Rangers Training Camp: J.T. Miller, Martin Biron And Derek Stepan Updates
There were some updates provided on J.T. Miller's injury, Martin Biron's absence, and Derek Stepan's ongoing contract negotiations.
We're only two days into training camp for the New York Rangers, and the news is already starting to pour out like crazy. Today marked the first of the on-ice drills for the Rangers, as Alain Vigneault and his coaching staff sent the players through various conditioning tests. Martin Biron, who departed the training facility yesterday afternoon, was absent once again today as the players arrived for their workouts.
There were no further updates provided, other than that Biron was dealing with a personal issue, and there is no time frame for when he could return. However, reports surfaced today that Biron is expected to be back at the MSG Training Center later this afternoon, and will likely rejoin the team. Johan Hedberg, who is still signed to a professional tryout, will also remain with the team for the remainder of training camp.
Injuries are always a part of the game, and the Rangers already had their first real scare of the season. During the conditioning tests, J.T. Miller had left the ice and appeared to be favoring one of his legs. Alain Vigneault later revealed that the injury was just a minor hamstring tweak, and that Miller is expected to be back on the ice tomorrow morning. Thankfully that's all it was.
Finally, with Derek Stepan still remaining at home without a contract, Rangers President and GM Glen Sather finally shed some light on the issue. Sather mentioned that the two sides were still engaged in "constant communication", and are trying to get a deal done as quickly as possible.
Both the Rangers and Stepan appear to be set on a two-year bridge deal, but the money is where things are getting held up. Stepan likely wants in the vicinity of $4.5 million, while the Rangers are offering him just shy of $3 million.
That's all we've got for now. Thoughts?
