Rangers’ Marc Staal out two weeks following surgery for ankle infection

New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and defenceman Marc Staal defend against the Chicago Blackhawks. (Mary Altaffer/AP)

New York Rangers defender Marc Staal underwent a surgical procedure for an infection in his ankle, the club announced Saturday.

Staal, 32, will be re-evaluated in two weeks, per the team.

Through 11 games so far this season, the veteran defenceman has posted two points while skating an average of 18:25 minutes per night — third-most among Rangers blue-liners after Jacob Trouba and Brady Skjei.

Staal is in his 13th season in the big leagues — all those campaigns coming with the Rangers — after joining the club as the 12th-overall pick back in the 2005 NHL Draft.

New York is also currently without star forward Mika Zibanejad (day-to-day with an upper-body injury) while sitting sixth in the Metropolitan Division with a 7-6-1 record.

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