Rangers Recall Brendan Bell

The roster moves continue for the New York Rangers, as they have recalled defenseman Brendan Bell from the Connecticut Whale. This is likely due to the Mike Sauer shoulder injury, as he did not practice last week and did not play in last night’s loss to the New York Islanders. Bell was the last player assigned to the Whale after the trip to Europe, as the Rangers needed him around because of the injury bug that has plagued the blue line. In two games with the Whale, Bell has an assist and 12 PIMs.

It is likely that Bell will get a look on defense in place of Jeff Woywitka, who finished with a -1 rating and under 13 minutes of ice time in last night’s loss. He wasn’t noticeable in the game, which is not necessarily a negative. It looks like the coaching staff is going to go with a make shift defense until Sauer and Marc Staal get healthy.

Bell does not need to clear re-entry waivers, as he did not spend 40 games with an NHL club last season.