The New York Rangers are going to be without Conor Sheary for the 2026 Winter Classic at LoanDepot Park in Miami, and he's going to miss at least the next nine games and 23 days after that. After leaving a 6-3 New Year's Eve loss to the Washington Capitals, it was reported that Sheary was being placed on LTIR after suffering a lower-body injury. The Rangers have already made replacements on the main roster, and the team will be without their veteran forward for an undetermined amount of time.
Sheary's injury creates an opening in the bottom six
Sheary had logged 483 minutes at 5v5 for the Rangers this season in the bottom six, and he also had some cameos as part of the top six. In those minutes he had a 39.98 GF%, a 48.77 CF%, and a 52.26 xGF%. Like many Rangers this season, Sheary has struggled with finishing, but you can credit him for bringing a strong defensive presence. The opposition only generated 1.48 goals against per 60 minutes that Sheary was on the ice, and that is something that allowed him to maintain a spot in the lineup despite struggling to be an offensive contributor. Sheary being out for the immediate future will create a void, and it presents another opportunity for a youngster to prove they can be a younger and more effective version of Sheary.
Brett Berard appears to be getting the first crack at the assignment
Berard was one of the three forwards recalled from Hartford on Thursday morning, and he plays a style that is quite effective when he's on top of his game. Berard logged 370 minutes at 5v5 last season in 35 games, and he had a slash line that included a 42.22 GF%, a 46.4 CF%, and a 42.68 xGF%.
This season he's up to 120 minutes in 11 games, and has a 38.51 GF%, a 46.57 CF%, and a 50.29 xGF%. Those numbers, sans the actual goals for, are better in a limited sample which suggests Berard has done some growing. In 35 games last year he had six goals and four assists for 10 points, but in 11 games he has just 10 shots on goal to his name. He averaged 1.69 shots per game last season, and is at 0.91 this year which is something that needs to change if he wants to score and contribute offensively. Berard has shown he can be a contributor at the AHL level, but he needs to step it up if he hopes to carve out an NHL career for himself.