Boogaard Hopes To Play This Season

Per Andrew Gross, Derek Boogaard appears to be symptom free, and is hoping that he can play again this season. Boogaard is the forgotten Ranger injury this year, as he only played in 22 games this season before getting a concussion on December 9 that effectively ended his season. Boogaard fought a myriad of injuries this year, which included the concussion, multiple hand injuries, and a shoulder injury. The Rangers have had Boogaard on long term injured reserve as of December 10, which is a little over two months.

Although Boogaard wants to return, it is unlikely he will see significant playing time this season, barring injuries. The Rangers have done just fine without him, and aren’t really in desperate need of an enforcer. Boogaard also may not fit into the lineup anymore, with the emergence of Mats Zuccarello and the acquisition of Wojtek Wolski. In fact, Boogaard may not even fit in next year, as the Rangers will look to get quicker and more skilled. The signing of Boogaard was a questionable one at best, and it is looking like it may be another bust of a free agent signing. Luckily, Boogaard’s salary isn’t $7 million, so he doesn’t kill the cap. But hey, we saw him score a goal this year, which is more than we can say for Chris Drury this season.