Jamie Nye: Dach’s injury proves Rangers right to keep Lafreniere out of WJHC

The New York Rangers are probably wondering where all the people are who criticized them for not loaning Alexis Lafreniere to Team Canada at the world junior hockey championship.

Myself included.

But here I am to say whenever an NHL team withholds a player from playing for their country, it has the trump card after seeing Kirby Dach having to miss the next four to six months rehabbing a wrist injury.

Chicago’s top young prospect was injured in a pre-tournament game and the Blackhawks will be without him for most, if not all, of the NHL season.

Lafreniere is a key piece to the Rangers, as is Kappo Kakko, who they also withheld from playing for Finland at the world juniors.

While Dach’s injury was a freak one, on an innocent check he delivered in the neutral zone, it’s an injury that will weigh on every NHL GM moving forward on loaning players to this tournament.

Because if Chicago had a do-over, Dach would be getting ready for NHL training camp right now, like Lafreniere is doing.