Rangers center Vincent Trocheck exits game early with upper-body injury

The New York Rangers were forced to play shorthanded on Thursday vs. the Buffalo Sabres after center Vincent Trocheck was ruled out of the game at the start of the third period.

There's uncertainty surrounding Trocheck's injury

Trocheck wasn't involved in a big hit of note, and no one in the building noticed anything wrong at first. It was noted that Trocheck left the bench, but as to why that was the case remains a bit of a mystery.

Trocheck is in his fourth season with the Rangers, and was skating in the top six as the center of a line with Artemi Panarin on one wing, and Alexis Lafrenière on the other. He tallied 59 points in 82 games last season, and that was a decrease from the 77 he recorded just a year prior.

A long-term injury for Trocheck would be bad news for Rangers

This season is one that is important for both Trocheck and the Rangers, and any extended absence would test the team's depth. Once Trocheck left the game, Mike Sullivan reworked his lines to have Mika Zibanejad back in the middle. This is the first year that Zibanejad is starting the season as a winger, the entirety of his career prior had him as a center.

The Rangers are already managing an injury to J.T. Miller, and even though he dressed against the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres, he hasn't moved all that well. Miller left the ice during a preseason practice after lunging toward a puck, and he was kept out of the lineup for the remainder of the preseason.

What's next for Blueshirts

The Rangers are off on Friday night, but will be in Pittsburgh for a game on Saturday vs. the Penguins, and they then return home to Madison Square Garden on Sunday to take on the Washington Capitals. If Trocheck is unavailable, Juuso Parssinen would likely be next in line to join the Rangers' lineup. Stay tuned for more details as they become available.