Rangers' Chris Kreider out 4-6 weeks with fracture

The New York Rangers will have to make their playoff push without forward Chris Kreider, who is out four to six weeks with a fractured foot.

Kreider was hurt Friday when he blocked a shot against thePhiladelphia Flyers.

"We're obviously hopeful sooner than later," Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton told the NHL Network at the GM meetings in Florida. "But I think with these things, it's weight bearing when you break your foot. I think if you look over time, some of the people who have had the same type of injury, you're looking at four to six weeks as probably realistic.

"I know that Chris is looking at it as is he going to be back sooner. If you see what kind of condition he is, his work ethic, it's hard to bet against him. So hopefully sooner than that, and we'll take one game at a time without him."

New York is 0-2-0 since the 28-year-old Kreider went down. The Rangers will host the Capitals on Thursday, and the regular season ends in a month.

Kreider was seen as the premier trade chip heading into the NHL trade deadline last month, but the Rangers kept him and then signed him to a seven-year contract extension. The deal has an annual average value of $6.5 million.

The Rangers have been in rebuilding mode the past few seasons and then signed Artemi Panarin in the offseason. After a slow start, New York has been surging toward playoff contention. The Rangers are four points out of the second wild card in the East.

Kreider is third on the team with 24 goals. He was on pace to surpass his previous high of 28 goals, which he collected in 2016-17 and again last season. His 45 points had him in range of his career high of 53.