PITTSBURGH — The Rangers’ first response to losing top-six center Mika Zibanejad for six-to-eight weeks to the broken left fibula he sustained in Sunday’s Garden shootout defeat to the Panthers was to claim Matt Puempel off waivers from the Senators on Monday.
The 23-year-old forward is reputed to have a similar skill set to the Blueshirts’ Brandon Pirri. Puempel, selected 24th overall by Ottawa in the 2011 draft, did not put up a point in limited duty (8:34 per) in 13 games this season. He has four goals and two points in 52 career games over the course of three years with the Senators.