Staal (concussion) has been cleared to take contact in practice but won't practice Tuesday or play Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

Staal remains without a definitive timetable for return, but the news suggests he could return as soon as next Tuesday against the Blue Jackets. The team should continue to update his status as the week progresses, but his clearance for contact is definitely a step in the right direction.

Staal (concussion) continues to skate on his own, but there is still no timetable for his return.

EDGE Analysis

Staal remains in the league's mandated concussion protocol, and it does not appear he is close to a return. Wait to see him officially return and play a full game without any lingering effects of his concussion before plugging him back into your active fantasy lineup.

Staal (concussion) has been skating since the end of last week and is "coming along," per coach Alain Vigneault, the New York Daily News reports.

EDGE Analysis

He's still in the concussion protocol, so his return isn't imminent; those few fantasy owners employing the veteran blueliner shouldn't expect his services either Tuesday or Thursday, but it seems conceivable that he might return for Sunday's game in Detroit if he can clear the protocol.

Staal is recovering from post-concussion symptoms and his availability for Friday's game is unclear, the New York Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

The injury that kept him out for the Rangers' last two games before the bye week was previously described as an upper-body ailment. Staal didn't skate in practice Thursday and could conceivably be held out of both Friday's and Saturday's games, if not longer. This is the third concussion of his NHL career, so the Rangers will surely play it safe with the veteran blueliner. Adam Clendening will continue suiting up as long as he's out.

Staal (upper body) will not play Saturday night against the Blue Jackets, NHL.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

By holding the rugged blueliner out of this one, he can be rested through the upcoming five-day bye week. Staal's been relatively durable this campaign, having already played in 40 games while amassing 42 hits and 55 blocked shots.

Staal will not play in Wednesday's road contest with the Flyers due to an upper body injury.

EDGE Analysis

Steal recorded two hits and a blocked shot in Tuesday's loss to the Sabres so the ailment could have been sustained then. The Rangers have two off days in front of them so it's possible the defenseman could be ready in time for their Saturday matchup with the Blue Jackets.

Staal has gone without a point in five straight games, and he has just a single assist and eight shots over the last 12 contests.

EDGE Analysis

He owns only four points on the season and isn't a major contributor in any peripheral fantasy category, so Staal's pretty much operating at peak worthlessness on offense.

Staal opened the scoring with a goal on his lone shot in Monday's 7-4 win over San Jose.

EDGE Analysis

With Mats Zuccarello screening him in front, Staal picked the bottom-right corner on a slapper against Sharks netminder Martin Jones. He didn't add much else on the scoresheet, going plus-1 with a single blocked shot over his 21:27 on the ice, but it was still a nice game for a guy who doesn't score a lot of goals.

Staal has no points in the Rangers' first two games of the year, but has averaged 21:30 of ice time -- nearly a two-minute increase over last year.

EDGE Analysis

With the Rangers down Kevin Klein and now Dan Girardi due to injuries, they're going to ask Staal to do a little more, but he has very limited offensive upside, considering he's cracked 20 points only once in the last five seasons. In fact, the second-oldest of the Staal brothers can't be counted on to contribute in any fantasy category but blocked shots, and he's not even elite in that aspect of the game.

Staal may have been affected by nagging injuries both during the season and in the playoffs, La Presse reports.

EDGE Analysis

"I would have liked to see a better transition game from our defense," coach Alain Vigneault said. "It seemed that our defenders were committing more turnovers, in addition to scoring chances to the opponent. Maybe it's because of injuries to Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi and Marc Staal? They struggled to find their rhythm." Indeed, Staal saw his ice time fluctuate wildly both in the regular season and the playoffs, and he posted full-season career lows in both goals (two -- a four-way tie, to be fair) and shots (65). However, the Rangers signed him to a six-year contract extension last January, so they're stuck with him for a long time to come unless they can find a way to unload him. Either way, last season's nagging issues shouldn't affect him heading into next year.