Sean Avery has officially cleared re-entry waivers, and is available to the Rangers should they look to use him Thursday against the Ducks. Whether he actually does get to play remains to be seen, given the Rangers’ 5-2 win over the Sharks last night and Tortorella’s tendency to keep winning combinations together.
For Avery to get into the line-up, one of Erik Christensen, Wojtek Wolski or Andre Deveaux would have to come out, and all three probably did enough last night to get a shot against Anaheim. If any of the three is likely to come out, expect Deveaux to be the odd man out. Still, with the size Anaheim has, Tortorella may choose to stick with the bigger body.
Of more pressing concern is the possibility that Mike Rupp will have to go for surgery on his left knee. Rupp has missed three straight games, and has sought a second opinion, but there’s a good chance he could be lost for a lengthy time depending on the damage.