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Rangers Recall Brett Berard, Ruhwedel And Mancini Assigned To AHL

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The New York Rangers have recalled forward Brett Berard from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League and have assigned defensemen Victor Mancini and Chad Ruhwedel to the AHL.

A former fifth-round pick in 2020, Berard will have an opportunity to make his NHL debut in just his second full season with the Wolf Pack after spending three seasons with Providence College of the NCAA. The 22-year-old had 25 goals and 23 assists in 71 AHL games last season and has produced better offensive numbers this season with seven goals and six assists in 16 AHL games thus far.

Going back to the AHL is Mancini, who himself is a former fifth-round pick (2022) and is in his second season of professional hockey, although he played just seven AHL games last season. The Hancock, Michigan native has dressed in ten NHL games for the Rangers this season and has produced decent offensive numbers with a goal and three assists while averaging 15:25 of ice time per game. Despite the offensive numbers, Mancini has been overwhelmed on the possession front, posting an abysmal 36.3 CF% at even strength.

Also headed to Hartford is veteran Ruhwedel. The former Stanley Cup champion has rarely seen AHL action since becoming an NHL regular in 2017-18. Ruhwedel played out a series of short-term one-way NHL contracts but had to settle for a two-way deal this past summer. This year the 34-year-old has played sparingly, with just one scoreless NHL appearance and seven AHL games.

The demotion of two defensemen to the AHL likely means that Zachary Jones will return to the Rangers lineup sooner rather than later.

Zac Jones Considered Day-To-Day With Upper-Body Injury

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Rangers Recall Victor Mancini

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The Rangers have recalled defenseman Victor Mancini from AHL Hartford, per the minor league’s transactions log. They returned center Jake Leschyshyn on loan to Hartford to keep their active roster at a maximum of 23 players.

After unexpectedly making the opening night roster, the 6’3″, 215-lb Mancini was sent to the minors last week after a run of four straight healthy scratches. Evidently, the stay-at-home righty has done enough to earn a second chance in the NHL after scoring once and logging an even rating in three games for Hartford.

Mancini, a fifth-round pick in 2022, is in his first full professional season after spending the last three years with the University of Nebraska-Omaha. The Michigan native had one goal and three assists with a +3 rating in his first nine NHL games earlier this season.

However, Mancini graded out quite poorly away from the scoresheet. Bolstered by a .948 SV% from his goalies while on the ice at even strength, the Rangers controlled just 35.4% of shot attempts and 34.5% of expected goals while Mancini was skating. Those are the worst possession numbers on the Blueshirts this season by a significant margin.

The Rangers already have an extra defenseman on the roster in Chad Ruhwedel, and no reported injuries. Mancini’s recall could be for a yet-to-be-disclosed injury issue, or it could just be to give the youngster another look on NHL ice.

Leschyshyn, 25, had been on the Rangers’ roster for the better part of the last week but did not play, sitting as a healthy scratch for three straight games. He was the club’s only extra healthy forward with Filip Chytil out, signaling that the latter may be available tomorrow against the Oilers after missing three games with an upper-body injury.

In 13 games with Hartford this season, Leschyshyn has one goal and three assists for four points with a -4 rating. He has just two goals and four assists for six points in 77 career NHL appearances and hasn’t played an NHL game since Jan. 11, 2024, against the Blues.

Filip Chytil Remains Out Thursday, Close To Return

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  • Despite joining the team on the road, Rangers center Filip Chytil won’t return to the lineup tonight in Calgary, reports Peter Baugh of The Athletic. He wasn’t on the ice for morning skate as he’ll miss his third straight game with an upper-body injury. Previous reports indicate the 25-year-old avoided a concussion when he left a Nov. 14 game against the Sharks after colliding with teammate K’Andre Miller, a good sign for the youngster who was limited to just 10 regular-season games in 2023-24 with concussions. Through 15 appearances, the 2017 first-round pick has four goals and five assists for nine points.

Chytil To Join Rangers On Road Trip, Still Day-To-Day

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It appears to be good news on the injury front for Rangers center Filip Chytil.  After being held back from their road trip amid concerns of a possible concussion, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan relays that the 25-year-old has been cleared to join the team and will catch up with them in Calgary.  However, that shouldn’t be viewed as Chytil being cleared to play as he’s still listed as day-to-day.  Chytil is off to a good start this season for New York, notching four goals and five assists in 15 contests despite averaging just 13:40 of playing time per game, his lowest ATOI since his rookie season.

Filip Chytil Still Being Evaluated By Doctors

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  • Filip Chytil has already missed a full game for the New York Rangers and his return doesn’t appear imminent. Mollie Walker of the New York Post reported that Chytil is being evaluated by doctors in New York, and the organization couldn’t provide updates regarding his recovery timeline. Chytil, who has a recent history of concussions, hasn’t stepped on the ice since colliding with teammate K’Andre Miller in the team’s recent game against the San Jose Sharks last week.

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Upper-Body Injury For Chytil, Erne Released From Hartford

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Rangers center Filip Chytil will not accompany the team on its upcoming four-game road trip, relays Vince Z. Mercogliano of the Rockland/Westchester Journal News.  The 25-year-old suffered an upper-body injury on Thursday versus San Jose with the team declining to provide further specifics.  Chytil, who has missed considerable time with concussions in the past (including the final 72 games of last season), is off to a good start this year for New York, notching four goals and five assists in 15 appearances despite an ATOI of just 13:40, his lowest since his rookie season.  It’s possible that Chytil could be cleared to join the Rangers partway through the trip if the injury winds up being a minor one.

  • The Rangers’ farm team in Hartford has released winger Adam Erne from his PTO, per the AHL’s transactions log. The veteran was previously listed as out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.  Erne had just one assist in ten games with the Wolf Pack prior to getting hurt.  A veteran of 379 career NHL games over parts of eight seasons (including 24 last year in Edmonton), Erne will now try to catch on elsewhere, presumably when he has recovered from the injury.

Rangers Recall Jake Leschyshyn

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The Rangers announced Saturday that they’ve recalled center Jake Leschyshyn from AHL Hartford. Since there was an open spot on the active roster, no corresponding transaction is necessary.

Leschyshyn, 25, comes up from the AHL for the second time this season to serve as an extra body while the Blueshirts embark on a four-game Western Conference road trip. They had 13 forwards on the active roster, but center Filip Chytil appears unlikely to travel with the club after sustaining an upper-body injury in a collision with teammate K’Andre Miller in Thursday’s loss to the Jets.

In all likelihood, Leschyshyn won’t need to clear waivers when his recall is over. He did so back in September and has only been on the active roster for two days since without drawing into a game, so he’s still got nearly an entire month left on his temporary exemption.

Leschyshyn has only appeared in 14 NHL games for the Rangers since being claimed off waivers from the Golden Knights in January 2023, going pointless with a -4 rating while averaging just 8:13 per game. The Vegas 2017 second-round pick has also been steadily declining offensively in the AHL. He has just one goal and three assists in 13 games for Hartford this season after recording 15 points in 18 games there just two seasons ago.

Filip Chytil Leaves Game With Upper-Body Injury

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  • K’Andre Miller and Filip Chytil accidentally collided in the second period of tonight’s matchup between the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks. Unfortunately, the Rangers announced that Chytil wouldn’t return to the game due to an upper-body injury. Chytil was slow to get to his feet and it’s uncertain whether it’s a precautionary move given Chytil’s recent battle with concussions.

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Rangers Recall Chad Ruhwedel, Assign Victor Mancini

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The New York Rangers have made a swap on defense, recalling veteran Chad Ruhwedel from, and assigning rookie Victor Mancini to, the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Mancini has served as a healthy scratch for New York’s last four contests, and will now search for hardier ice time in the minor leagues.

Ruhwedel returns to the Rangers lineup after a brief stint in the minor leagues. He played in seven games for Hartford, recording two assists and four penalty minutes but otherwise failing to jump off the page. The stint was the longest Ruhwedel has had in the minor leagues since 2016-17, when he played in 28 games and scored 16 points for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He’s spent the time since serving as a stout seventh defender for the Pittsburgh Penguins and, thanks to a midseason trade last year, the Rangers. That’s been Ruhwedel’s role since he joined the NHL in 2012-13, when he signed with the Buffalo Sabres as an undrafted free agent. He’s gone on to total 365 appearances across 12 seasons, including this year thanks to one scoreless game in New York. Despite the long run in the league, Ruhwedel still sits one point shy of his 50th career NHL point.

While he searches for that, Mancini will look to continue his hot start to the season in the minor leagues. The 22-year-old recorded four points in the first nine NHL games of his career this season, and seemed capable of handling routine minutes on New York’s third pairing. But growing pains and lineup competition forced Mancini out of a spot, leaving him to build on the three assists he recorded in seven AHL games last year. New York originally drafted Mancini in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, following a strong freshman year at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He’d go on to total 23 points in 110 games with Nebraska-Omaha, turning pro at the end of the 2023-24 season. This assignment likely isn’t the end of Mancini’s NHL time this year, especially if he can breathe light into a Hartford team off to a menial start this season.

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