Defenseman Ryan Lindgren, who fought Scott Mayfield in the first period of the 6-4 win after Mayfield’s hit on Filip Chytil had left the Czech center on all fours in center ice, will be out an extended period with an upper-body injury, the Rangers announced Wednesday.

The Rangers open the season on the road against the Penguins on Oct. 9. The Rangers may have to start the season without one of their top-four defensemen. Ryan Lindgren is expected to be sidelined for at least a few weeks with an upper-body injury,

The New York Rangers are facing mixed injury updates after Tuesday’s preseason win over the New York Islanders, with key forward Artemi Panarin and defenseman Ryan Lindgren both leaving the game and not returning. For star winger Panarin, the news is much more optimistic than for Lindgren.

Lindgren has been a staple for the Rangers since 2019-20, with 333 career regular-season games played and another 43 in the playoffs. The 26-year-old signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract in July and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Artemi Panarin did not practice Wednesday due to a lower-body injury that was reported after Tuesday's game, but he is day to day, according to NHL.com. Hopefully, Panarin can return soon and get ready for the start of the regular season for the Rangers, as he is arguably their best and most important offensive player.

Lindgren got into an altercation with Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield after Mayfield leveled Filip Chytil with a hard open-ice hit, per Mollie Walker of the New York Post.

With Ryan Lindgren set to miss time due to injury, rookie defenseman Victor Mancini has put himself on the Rangers' radar as a potential fill in to begin the season.

The Rangers are dealing with injuries to key players Artemi Panarin and Ryan Lindgren, both of whom were hurt in Tuesday night's game.