Ryan McDonagh out 3-4 weeks for Rangers with separated shoulder

Defenseman Ryan McDonagh, the Rangers’ best blueliner, is expected to miss three to four weeks with a separated left shoulder and was placed on long-term injured reserve, head coach Alain Vigneault said Sunday.

That injury, which occurred midway through the first period on Saturday when McDonagh was driven into the end boards by Winnipeg’s Evander Kane, as well as a bruised foot for top-four defenseman Kevin Klein, set into motion a series of transactions and a patchwork lineup to face the St. Louis Blues at Madison Square Garden on Monday.

With four of the top six defensemen either injured or suspended, Vigneault said the Rangers would call up two players from the AHL after 5 p.m. Sunday and believed that defensemen Conor Allen and Dylan McIlrath would fit under the salary cap. Hartford was playing Worchester at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Both Allen and McIlrath, if indeed they are the callups, would be in the lineup Monday, replacing McDonagh and Klein, whose left foot still is swollen after being struck by Jacob Trouba’s wrist shot at the 38-second mark of the Rangers’ 1-0 shootout loss to the Jets on Saturday.  Klein was on crutches at the training center and although X-rays were negative, more tests are scheduled.

Veteran forward Ryan Malone, who was signed to a one-year, two-way contract on Sept. 11, was placed on waivers, presumably to help clear cap space for Allen and McIlrath’s bonuses, which count against the cap. Malone, who will be 35 on Dec. 1, had played just five games with no points.

Malone said he was “the odd man out” and was not sure that if he cleared waivers Monday, would report to Hartford, where his salary would drop to $100,000.

“This is a first for me,” said the former Penguins and Lightning winger, who was drafted in 1999 by Pittsburgh, added that he had not spoken to his agent about the future. Malone acknowledged that rookies Kevin Hayes and Anthony Duclair had played well, and knew that coming into the season, would face competition to stay on the roster.

Center Derek Stepan, having sat out the last 10 games on LTIR with a broken fibula, also will not dress for Monday’s game even though he is eligible to play. He skated in an optional practice Sunday with a non-contract jersey and said he was improving but did not declare that he was ready to play Wednesday against the Red Wings.

Henrik Lundqvist will get a rest after starting nine of 10 games. Cam Talbot (0-1-0, 2.89 GAA, .886 save percentage) will make his second start and third appearance on Monday.

Blue Notes

Defenseman Dan Boyle, who remains on LTIR, also skated in a non-contact jersey and was passing and shooting, but very cautious with his broken right hand, which occurred in the Oct. 9 opener.  Boyle is a week or more away from returning  . . . John Moore, suspended for an illegal head shot on Minnesota’s Erik Haula, will serve the second game of his five-game ban on Monday.