NY Rangers Share Disappointing Injury Update on Adam Sykora

New York Rangers forward Adam Sykora has a long road of recovery ahead of him.

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Adam Sykora (38) skates against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers played their second preseason game of the year against the New York Islanders on Tuesday night, losing 4-3 in their first contest at Madison Square Garden.

It was their second loss in as many days, as they fell in the preseason opener to the New Jersey Devils 3-2 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, the previous night. Alas, the Rangers unfortunately lost more than just the game.

In the first period against the Devils, winger Adam Sykora was hit hard by New Jersey defenseman Mikael Diotte in the first period. The collision caused the young Rangers forward to fall awkwardly into the boards, suffering an apparent lower-body injury.

Sykora hobbled off the ice and was forced out of the game. In an update provided by Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic, the injury has turned out to be pretty severe, as Sykora is going to miss an extended period of time.

How long will Adam Sykora be sidelined for?

Apr 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Adam Sykora (38) warms up before the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

New York has said that Sykora is going to miss 4-5 months of action with the lower-body injury, which is believed to be to his right knee. It's a brutal turn of events for a youngster who was battling to make the opening night roster, with their organizational depth taking a hit as well.

The timetable the team provided means Sykora won’t be returning to the ice before the calendar flips to 2027. Late January is the earliest he will be back, but there is a chance he is sidelined through the All-Star break in February if his recovery is closer to the end of the projected timetable.

Sykora made his NHL debut near the end of the 2025-26 campaign, playing in 11 games. He recorded four points, scoring three goals and handing out an assist, averaging 11:10 minutes of ice time per contest.

Tough break for Adam Sýkora: #NYR say he’ll be out 4-5 months with that lower-body injury.

— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) September 23, 2026

Projected to be a top-six option with the Hartford Wolf Pack and one of the first players the Rangers would have turned to for a call-up to the NHL roster, this is a significant blow to the team.

This certainly improves the odds of Taylor Raddysh sticking around to make the NHL roster; the same likely goes for Jarslav Chmelar. It is one less person Matt Rempe is competing with as well to make the team.

At the AHL level, someone is going to have the opportunity to move into a sizable role, filling the void that Sykora’s knee injury has created.