Rangers' Blake Wheeler 'ready in any capacity' for East finals - ESPN

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — New York Rangers forward Blake Wheeler, who has been out since February with a serious leg injury, says he is «an option and available» for their Eastern Conference finals series against the Florida Panthers.

Wheeler was injured Feb. 15, when his right leg bent at an unnatural angle and he was helped off the ice. It was an unnerving scene, one that had Rangers captain Jacob Trouba wondering whether the veteran forward had played his last NHL game.

The 37-year-old Wheeler was placed on injured reserve and ruled out for the regular season. His status for the Stanley Cup playoffs was uncertain at best. But Wheeler has been participating in practice over the past few weeks and shed his noncontact jersey Monday.

On Sunday, after an optional skate for the Rangers at their practice facility, Wheeler said he was available to play in the Eastern Conference finals.

«I think once you get rid of the red jersey, and the fact they take me off of the injured reserve, I think that's been my goal the whole time since I got hurt: to be an option and be available again. And that's where we're at,» he said. «It's going to be in the coach's hands from there, but I'm ready in any capacity I can to help out.»

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said there were no restrictions on any of the players in practice and that Wheeler «is going to do everything he can to make himself a possibility» for the lineup.

Wheeler signed with the Rangers as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason after his contract was bought out by the Winnipeg Jets, with whom he spent the previous 12 seasons. He had 21 points (9 goals, 12 assists) in 54 games for New York, skating 12:43 per game.

His injury occurred right before the Rangers' Stadium Series