The New York Rangers opened the preseason earlier tonight, and unfortunately it took less than a period for the team to be hit by the injury bug. Adam Sýkora, a spark plug of a forward whose infectious energy was a rare highlight last season, left the game with an injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Sýkora was likely to be on a shortlist of players competing for a roster spot, and this injury could really impact his chances of making the team to start the season.
Sýkora leaves game with right knee injury
During the first period Sýkora took a hit from Mikael Diotte, and the momentum sent him toward the boards and his leg went into the boards awkwardly.
Adam Sýkora looks like he hurt his right knee affter this hit. #NYR pic.twitter.com/Mzg0ymfjLG
— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) September 21, 2026
The Rangers officially ruled him out once the second period began, and the update isn't all that surprising.
Adam Sykora (lower-body) will not return to tonight's game.
— NY Rangers PR (@NYR_PR) September 21, 2026
The concern is that Sýkora was unable to put any weight on his right leg, and that suggests his injury may be pretty serious. Part of that has to do with how he left the ice, but at this time of year there's always going to be extra precautions in place.
Sýkora is a young player on the rise, a long-term injury would be unfortunate
Sýkora was one of the youngest players in the AHL when he made his debut, and had an impressive 8-15-23 in 66 games. He followed that up with 9-21-30 in 81 games, and last season he posted a line of 12 goals, 17 assists, and 29 points in 62 games. With the Rangers he appeared in just 11 games, and that was enough to get him excited for the upcoming season, and an opportunity to remain in the NHL.
Via Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic:
"The biggest part was motivation. That’s what I felt last season. The last three weeks at the end of the season, it was something unbelievable, indescribable. So I feel like motivation is kind of the word. It’s what I was thinking about (all summer). … It gave me the discipline and motivation to go hard every day in the gym, on the ice, and just improve myself to be ready and maybe to get (to New York) earlier."
The hope is that Sýkora being pulled tonight was more precautionary than anything else, and we get an update after the game that provides a little more information. I full expect Head Coach Mike Sullivan to say that he is day-to-day with an injury, and more information will be provided in the coming days.
If things are as bad as they looked, that news will become available a lot sooner, and it in turn will change everything about the rest of the preseason, and the initial makeup of the Hartford Wolf Pack's roster to start the season.
The Rangers are back in preseason action on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, and I'd expect them to have more NHL talent in the lineup as they take on the New York Islanders in what should be quite spirited matchup.
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