Rangers captain Chris Drury breaks finger, out four weeks

                Veteran center Chris Drury, 34, broke his left index finger while blocking a shot in today's morning scrimmage and will miss four weeks, the team said a few minutes ago.

                It is a non-displaced fracture and surgery will not be required. He is expected to miss the first few games of the regular season.

                Drury, who had 14 goals and 18 assists last year, also missed time last season with a concussion suffered in an early November game in Calgary. He led all NHL foreards in blocked shots with 97.

              "it's a tough break for him," said Vinny Prospal. "He was skating well, and in great shape."                

              "He'll be able to skate (while recovering), but it's just frustrating for him that it happened," said Marian Gaborik. "He's a big part of our team and we'll have to manage without him. He'll be back soon."

             The injury opens the door for another forward, possibly center prospect Derek Stepan, veteran Todd White or sophomore Tim Kennedy, a former Sabre, to be on the roster on opening night.

               Drury, one of the team's top penalty killers, also played a number of games on right wing last season, so a replacement might be someone who can fill that role, at least temporarily.

              Stepan, who skated with Gaborik and Alex Frolov on Sunday, was impressive. "Some guys at first are scared to do things," Gaborik said. "He wasn't. He tried to make plays."