Vigneault: Rangers' Defenseman Klein To Miss 2-3 Weeks

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Rangers have to fill a big hole on defense.

That's because dependable veteran Kevin Klein is expected to miss 2-3 weeks due to an oblique strain, head coach Alain Vigneault announced on Tuesday.

Klein suffered the injury during the first period of Monday night's 4-3 win over Carolina at Madison Square Garden. His departure came just hours after the team said veteran forward Derek Stepan would be out 4-6 weeks with two broken ribs.

Young defenseman Dylan McIlrath, who was scratched Monday night, will likely dress over the short term. How Vigneault will organize his pairings remains to be seen.

Klein had been logging big minutes in the Rangers' top pairing alongside captain Ryan McDonagh. Overall, the 30-year-old defenseman has six points and is a plus-11 in 25 games this season.

The Rangers, who snapped a three-game losing streak with Monday's win and jumped back into first place in the Metropolitan Division, will take on the surging Islanders on Wednesday in their first regular season appearance at Barclays Center.