The New York Rangers have officially placed Chris Kreider on injured reserve, which gives Brett Berard a golden opportunity. With Kreider recovering from an upper-body injury, Berard was recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack of The American Hockey League, getting the chance to prove himself and earn a permanent spot with the Rangers.

Chris Kreider is expected to miss his second consecutive game with an apparent upper-body injury. It’s unclear when Kreider suffered this upper-body injury, but he’s been dealing with a nagging back issue all season long,

Chris Kreider may end up missing more than just Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh with his upper-body injury, as the Rangers recalled Brennan Othmann on Monday from their AHL Hartford affiliate in advance of Tuesday’s game against the Islanders.

The New York Rangers have recalled rookie winger Brett Berard from the minor leagues. They’re also expected to place winger Chris Kreider on injured reserve in a corresponding move per Vince Z.