DON’T: Bring him back too soon
This is absolutely the most important thing on this list. Concussions are not an injury to mess with.
The Rangers need to ensure that they allow Zibanejad full recovery time before sending him back out on the ice. Head injuries are especially dangerous for players in contact sports, especially if they are not given enough time to heal.
The Rangers will need to keep an eye on him coming back from the injury because if he comes back too soon he risks getting another diagnosis. It is likely that from there, it could become a recurring problem. In hockey, we have seen this with players like Sidney Crosby and the Rangers’ own, Marc Staal.
Timetables on concussion recovery time nowadays are different than they have been over the last decade. However, the Rangers have to be careful.
Next: How 5-on-5 play has impacted the penalty kill
They need to make the hard choice to keep Zibanejad out of the lineup for as long as it takes for him to feel 100%. If they don’t, the Rangers risk jeopardizing Zibanejad’s future on the team and his life after hockey as well.