CHICAGO — Veteran defenseman Raphael Diaz has reported to the AHL Wolf Pack with the understanding the Rangers will review his situation at the end of the month.
The 29-year-old Diaz, who cleared waivers last Saturday after the Blueshirts opted to keep rookie Dylan McIlrath as the club’s seventh on the blue line, is interested in the European option if he is not in the NHL.
The Blueshirts have told Diaz they will revisit the situation at the end of October, but have not promised to release him or assign him to a European team at that point. If Diaz, a Swiss native who represented Switzerland in the 2014 Olympics, does play in Europe during the season, he would have to go through waivers in order to return to the NHL.
The Rangers might not be in position to be so cavalier with their most experienced depth defenseman.
“He signed with the Rangers to play for the Rangers, and that remains Raffi’s intention,” agent Ritch Winter said by phone on Wednesday. “I think everyone recognizes that he had a good camp.”
McIlrath was scratched on Wednesday, along with Emerson Etem and Tanner Glass, but could play Friday in Columbus against the brawny Blue Jackets.
Neither the Rangers’ Alain Vigneault nor Chicago’s Joel Quenneville exercised a coach’s challenge in the Blueshirts’ 3-2 opening-game victory over the Blackhawks. Not coincidentally, neither used his allotted time out during the match, for teams are only allowed to challenge if holding a time out.
Challenges are allowed on goals/goaltender interference calls and non-calls and on offsides plays that lead to goals.
“We had a conference call with the league the other day in which it was discussed, and PowerPoints were sent to [coaches] and club video coordinators,” Vigneault said. “It was explained very well.”
The league still is working on finding the appropriate amount of time to give coaches to decide whether to challenge a call. Video coach Jerry Dineen will be responsible for coordinating on the bench with Vigneault and associate coach Scott Arniel.
Asked whether he is in favor of the challenge, Vigneault hesitated before saying: “The purpose of it is to get the right call. If it does that, it is good for the game.
“Is that a good answer?”
Ice time for Rangers’ forwards ranged from Viktor Stalberg’s 11:18 to Derick Brassard’s 16:17. Dan Boyle, caught in no-man’s land on Chicago’s two-on-one opening goal, got the least amount of time among the defensemen, just 14:03 that included only 3:51 on five shifts in the third period.
Of course, Boyle’s minutes were affected because the Blueshirts were not awarded a power play in the match. The Blackhawks had one unsuccessful power play in the first period.
The match represented the eighth straight time the Rangers had opened the season on the road, including a pair of games in Europe (2008 in Prague and 2011 in Stockholm). The Blueshirts are 3-4-1 in those games.
It also marked the first time the Blueshirts had opened against the defending Stanley Cup champions in 44 years, since the 1971-72 squad played a 4-4 tie against the Canadiens in Montreal in Guy Lafleur’s NHL debut. The 20-year-old Flower assisted on a second-period Yvan Cournoyer goal for the first of his 1,353 career points.
The Rangers’ Garden opener is Saturday against the Blue Jackets to complete the back-to-back, home and home. … Antti Raanta is likely in line to start in goal Friday.