Rangers Recall Ryan Bourque, Chris Summers
While the Rangers rest a few bodies, Ryan Bourque will make his NHL debut tonight against the Ottawa Senators.
The New York Rangers have recalled forward Ryan Bourque and defenseman Chris Summers, the team announced today. Bourque, 24, was a third-round pick by the Rangers in 2009 and will be making his NHL debut. Summers, 27, was acquired in the Keith Yandle trade and already played one game with the Rangers against the Capitals on March 29th.
With the top spot in the NHL clinched, the Rangers have virtually nothing to play for besides staying mentally fresh for the playoffs and maybe helping a few players achieve statistical milestones. Thus, they presumably will sit a few guys with some bumps and bruises in favor of these two. Zuccarello seems like a foregone conclusion to sit. We should soon find out which other forward and defenseman will also be given a breather.
As for Ryan Bourque, it's a well-deserved promotion. Maybe a player like Oscar Lindberg is better, but Ryan is being rewarded for his hard work in the AHL over the last four seasons. He's a very similar player to Dominic Moore in that he's a defensive-minded forward with a high hockey IQ. He skates well, gets first-unit penalty kill minutes in Hartford, and can chip in with occasional offense; he has 30 points in 70 games with the Wolf Pack this season. He wears an 'A' in Hartford because he's a hard worker who leads by example. I wrote more about Bourque here.
UPDATE: WFAN's Sean Hartnett is reporting that Marc Staal and Rick Nash appear to be the players who will rest tonight.
