NHL Playoffs 2012: Could Mats Zuccarello Replace Injured Brandon Dubinsky?

It's not as impossible as you think.

After suffering a broken wrist on March 23 on a shot from Sabres defenseman Jordan Leopold, winger Mats Zuccarello was deemed out indefinitely and not thought of as a contributor for the Rangers the rest of the season.

Or so we all thought, until Rangers beat writer Steve Zipay of Newsday tweeted this earlier today:

"

Mats Zuccarello at morning sake with NYR. No Dubinsky

"

"— Steve Zipay (@stevezipay) May 2, 2012"

Obviously, this doesn't mean he's playing in Game 3 tonight in Washington (unless the coach confirms before game time and we're all really thrown for a loop). What it does mean is Zuccarello is ahead of schedule and could become a factor for the Rangers, depending on how long the series goes.

The tweet also alluded to Brandon Dubinsky, who was injured in Game 7 of the Ottawa series and has yet to see action in the current series against Washington. According to Kevin DeLury of NYRangersblog.com and one of his readers, Dubinsky was seen prior to Game 2 with his injured foot in a boot. 

The fact that the team and coach John Tortorella have not given any updates on Dubinsky's status can mean only one thing—he's nowhere near ready to come back.

If Dubinsky is out for an extended period of time, someone has to take his spot. If healthy, that person may just be Zuccarello.

Before breaking his wrist, Zuccarello looked to be a player who could help the Rangers offense, particularly the power play. A playmaker by trade, Zuccarello, despite being generously listed at 5'7'', is skilled at finding open players in the offensive zone and delivers quick, crisp passes—something the Rangers get sloppy with occasionally, especially when moving the puck with a man advantage.

The Rangers have lacked depth this postseason. John Scott, acquired at this year's deadline, has not seen the ice this postseason. After him, the options are limited and include moving defenseman Stu Bickel to wing and inserting Steve Eminger.

If Zuccarello is truly making progress and could return in this series, he has to be considered the replacement for Dubinsky.