Marc Staal, the New York Rangers' stalwart defenseman and one of their alternate captains, will not be in the lineup Wednesday night when the team plays its first preseason game against the New Jersey Devils in Albany, N.Y.
But the Rangers are hoping he will be back in two weeks when the games count.
Staal, 24, who is entering his fifth year with the Rangers, and who makes up half of the Rangers' top defensive pair with Dan Girardi, suffered a concussion when he was hit by his older brother Eric on Feb. 22. He still is feeling the effects of the concussion, and the Rangers have been treading on the side of caution.
"Some days, I'll get a headache late in the day that will last four-five hours, or one hour," Staal said Tuesday after completing the drills and practice. "That's just kind of the way its been going the last couple of weeks.
"It's frustrating. It is something I have never had before, but I've been improving over the past two or three weeks."
After showing up at the Rangers' practice facility in Greenburgh, N.Y., on Monday, Staal was sent home after not feeling well. But Tuesday, he gave it another shot, skating and taking part in non-contact drills in between the Rangers' two scrimmage games.
"If I sit on the couch all day, I don't get any headaches. If I push myself really hard, more times than not I'll get a headache," he said.
Though Staal will not play Wednesday, or any of the three preseason games the Rangers have in North America, he could return to the lineup when the Rangers' season opens Oct. 7 in Sweden. But only if the headaches are gone by then.
"Obviously, it is not an ideal situation to jump into a regular-season game, but at that point you don't really have any other options," Staal said. "As soon as I can get a stretch in where I'm not getting headaches, I'll start playing games."
