Adam Sykora was a candidate to make the New York Rangers' opening night roster in 2026-27, but instead he'll miss a significant portion of the campaign after suffering a lower-body injury during a preseason loss to the New Jersey Devils on Monday.

The 22-year-old was injured on a collision with Devils defenseman Mikael Diotte, and was nursing his right knee following the hit. He needed assistance getting off the ice.

Sykora is expected to miss 4-5 months due to the ailment, the Rangers announced.

It's a brutal blow for both player and club; the Slovakian forward recorded 29 points in 62 games with the American Hockey League's Hartford Wolf Pack in 2025-26. He also made an impact at the NHL level, recording three goals and four points in 11 games with the Blueshirts at the end of the season.

It's the first serious injury Sykora has suffered since crossing the pond and beginning his North American professional career. A second-round pick (63rd overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft, he was expected to compete for a bottom-six role in 2026-27.

Sykora appeared in parts of four seasons with the Wolf Pack, and finally got a call-up to the big leagues in March. He made his NHL debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 25 and scored his first goal two nights later against the Chicago Blackhawks.

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He captained Team Slovakia at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, scoring a goal and adding an assist in five games. He also made the men's team for the IIHF World Championship in both 2025 and 2026.

The Piestany, Slovakia native will now spend at least the rest of the calendar year on the shelf. Even if he returns on the shorter end of his recovery timeline, he won't make his season debut — which will probably be with Hartford — until late January.

It's a disappointing blow all around, and the hope is that Sykora will be fully healthy when he returns to professional hockey in 2027.

The Rangers have two more preseason contests; they'll play the Devils again at Madison Square Garden on Thursday before concluding the exhibition slate against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Friday.

New York opens the 2026-27 regular-season against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Sept. 29.