Staal to Return to Rangers’ Lineup; Sproul Demoted to AHL

Defenseman Marc Staal will return to the Rangers’ lineup tomorrow night (Thursday) against Montreal, according to Head Coach Alain Vigneault. Staal had missed the last eight games due to a cervical strain suffered on February 3rd in Nashville.

As a complementary move, the team has assigned defenseman Ryan Sproul to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL.

Sproul, 25, had two points in four games with the Rangers since his call-up on February 9th. With Staal’s return, the Rangers had eight healthy defensemen on the roster. Hartford are trying to remain in the AHL playoff race, and Sproul has been one of their top players this season. With Sproul bumped from the Rangers’ lineup, it makes sense to send him back to Hartford, where he can return to their lineup and play a significant role.