Rangers place Rick Nash on IR, waive Martin Biron, Arron Asham
Rick Nash (61) reaches for the puck in front of Los Angeles Kings center Dwight King (74) during the third period of a game in Los Angeles. (Oct. 7, 2013) Credit: AP
GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- The Rangers are getting younger quickly.
With Rick Nash placed on injured reserve with post-concussion symptoms and veterans Martin Biron and Arron Asham waived on Monday, the team is expected to call up goaltender Cam Talbot and at least one forward, probably J.T. Miller, from Hartford on Tuesday.
Biron, 36, and Asham, 35, the team's two oldest players, were told of the move after practice. That's also when coach Alain Vigneault said Nash, who was hit in the head by Sharks defenseman Brad Stuart and had to leave last Tuesday's game in San Jose, was "still feeling symptoms." Nash, the team's leading goal-scorer last season with 21, was sent home from California the next day and did not practice Monday.
Talbot, 26, was solid in two preseason appearances, stopping 11 of 12 shots against the Devils and 10 of 12 against the Flyers, and Vigneault had said he will be in the mix as a backup. He started 55 games for Hartford last season and was 25-28-1 with a 2.63 GAA and .918 save percentage.
Biron, beginning his fourth season as the backup to Henrik Lundqvist, surrendered nine goals on 38 shots in 71 minutes against the Sharks and Blues last week. Teams have until noon Tuesday to claim Biron, who is earning $1.3 million in the final year of his contract.
"It's a performance-based business and the organization felt that Marty's first two performances were not what we expected," Vigneault said.
After surrendering four goals and being pulled after the second period in St. Louis on Saturday, Biron said Monday, "I had an inclination that it was possibly going to happen, and I had talked with AV a few days back."
Biron, who made five starts last season (2-2-1, 2.32 GAA), did not rule out retirement. He said he will speak with his family in Buffalo "and get some advice from different people. There are many different options that are going to be presented to me and I'll see what fits best. It's not the best-case scenario. It's not something I've had to experience in my career."
Said Lundqvist: "I think about him less as a teammate and more as a friend. It's never a fun feeling, but at the same time, everyone understands the business."
Asham, who cleared waivers in July and played in three games for the 1-4 Rangers, was amenable to reassignment. "No hard feelings," he said. "I'll go down and work hard."
Miller, 20, made the opening night roster but was sent down when the team was in Los Angeles. He has four goals in three AHL games. Chris Kreider, 22, or Danny Kristo, 23, could join the team before the Rangers visit Washington in their sixth consecutive road game Wednesday night.
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