Rangers' Kreider Out Indefinitely With Blood Clot In Right Arm

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Rangers are going to have to make due without one of their best offensive players for quite a while.

The team announced on Thursday that winger Chris Kreider will be out indefinitely due to a blood clot in his right arm. The veteran forward left Wednesday night's 1-0 shootout win over visiting Washington in the first period and did not return.

"The only thing that I know is just before the first period, (Kreider) felt some swelling in his arm," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said after practice on Thursday. "Docs checked him out and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. In between the first and second (periods), it got to a point where this was out of the ordinary. So, they sent him to the hospital and found out."

Kreider has skated in 37 games with the Rangers this season, registering 11 goals and 11 assists.

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New York recalled Vinni Lettieri from AHL Hartford to take Kreider's roster spot. The 22-year-old forward had 12 goals and nine assists in 31 games for the Wolf Pack.

"(Lettieri is a) right-handed shot, something that we don't have a lot of and good speed and a good shooter. He's going to get an opportunity to play," Vigneault said. "He's been playing well, a young guy who came in. I think everybody remembers the skill set and speed during training camp. He's had some very good moments in Hartford as a young player that our coaches there and our scouts feel that he's a good prospect and he's going to get his first look at the NHL."

The Rangers (20-13-4), who are currently tied for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and occupy one of the two Eastern Conference wild card spots, take on the Red Wings in Detroit on Friday.