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Filip Chytil

Evening Notes: Chytil, Myers, Ryan, Holm

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New York Rangers centerman Filip Chytil stepped back out of the lineup for Saturday’s Game 4 due to what the team described as an illness, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette previously dubbed Chytil as a “game-time decision”, per Mollie Walker of The New York Post (Twitter link).

Chytil made his long-anticipated return from a concussion during Game 3, marking his first time in the lineup since November. He recorded one shot and one hit and 12 minutes of ice time, looking well-adjusted to the pace of play after such a long absence. Laviolette shared that Chytil wasn’t experiencing any injury-related issues Game 3 and that his absence came after he woke up not feeling well on Saturday morning.

Jonny Brodzinski stepped into the lineup in Chytil’s absence, taking on a role previously occupied by Matt Rempe – though both wingers skated during pre-game warmups.  Brodzinski has just one Stanely Cup Playoff appearance entering Game 3, having appeared in a First Round loss with the Rangers in the 2022 postseason. He scored a career-high 19 points this season, adding 25 points in 16 AHL games, giving him plenty of momentum coming into Saturday’s decisive matchup.  Chytil’s status, and thus the security of Brodzinski’s lineup spot, seems to be up in the air as the Rangers look to break the barrier into the Third Round.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers is questionable for Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers due to an undisclosed injury, shares TSN’s Farhan Lalji (Twitter link). Myers has held a big role for the Canucks throughout the playoffs, averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time through seven appearances, though he’s still searching for his first point of the Spring. Lalji mentions that Noah Juulsen would likely be the favorite should Vancouver need to fill in for Myers, though the squad also brought up six defenders as part of a large group of black aces recalled on Friday. The Canucks will need to stay stout on defense, currently tied 1-1 with the Oilers after a 4-3 overtime loss on Friday.
  • There will be no Department of Player Safety discipline for Oilers forward Derek Ryan, following a spear to Vancouver’s Nils Hoglander’s nether region, shares Vancouver-based reporter Irfaan Gaffar (Twitter link). Both Ryan and Hoglander were assessed minor penalties on the player – Ryan being booked for slashing and Hoglander for interference. Ryan has appeared in four playoff games this year, recording one assist and averaging 8:26 in tice time as Edmonton’s fourth-line centerman. He should maintain that role headed into Game 3.
  • The Colorado Avalanche’s goaltending room continues to dwindle, with Arvid Holm agreeing to a three-year contract with the SHL’s Rögle BK. Holm spent the year searching for ice time in Colorado’s minor league system – recording six wins and an .887 save percentage in 12 AHL games and two wins and a .907 in four ECHL games. It was his third season in the AHL, with Holm’s .911 save percentage in 35 games last season representing his best year. He’ll now return to the SHL, where he totaled 55 career games prior to his move to North America. Holm will join a Rögle lineup that just went on a fantastic playoff run, largely thanks to strong performances by Christoffer Rifalk. Rifalk has been Rögle’s starter for the last five seasons and should hang onto the role ahead of Holm next season.

Metropolitan Notes: Devils Coaching Search, Chytil, Quapp

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The Devils are hoping to have their coaching search wrapped up in the near future now that Travis Green is now in Ottawa.  Craig Berube and Jay Woodcroft have been linked to the position already but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in a recent NHL Network appearance (video link) that Todd McLellan has also interviewed for the position and could be in the mix for a second interview as well.  McLellan is one of the most experienced coaches available with 1,144 career regular season games under his belt, good for 24th all-time.  His teams have played to a .581 points percentage over that time but he was let go midseason by Los Angeles with the Kings underachieving at the time.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Rangers center Filip Chytil is listed as a game-time decision for tonight’s fourth game against Carolina, relays Mollie Walker of the New York Post. Head coach Peter Laviolette indicated that Chytil didn’t feel well when he woke up this morning.  The 24-year-old returned to the lineup on Thursday after missing more than six months with concussion troubles; Laviolette declined to comment on if Chytil’s symptoms were related to those symptoms.  If Chytil doesn’t play, it appears as if Jonny Brodzinski will be in line to make his first appearance of the playoffs with Matt Rempe expected to remain a healthy scratch.
  • Hurricanes goalie prospect Nikita Quapp has signed a one-year contract with Dusseldorfer EG in the German League, per a team announcement. The 21-year-old was a sixth-round pick back in 2021 (187th overall) but has spent most of his time in Germany’s second division since then.  Quapp played in 26 games on loan to Lausitzer Fuchse this season, posting a 2.63 GAA and a .920 SV%.  Carolina has until June 1st, 2025 to sign Quapp so this will be his last chance to try to demonstrate that he’s worthy of an NHL contract.

Rangers’ Filip Chytil To Return For Game 3

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5:53 p.m.: Chytil is listed on the Rangers’ lineup card for Game 3 and will play, per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. He’s been taken off long-term injured reserve as a result, although the move has no salary cap ramifications in the postseason.

5:43 p.m.: Pre-game line rushes indicate that Rangers center Filip Chytil is likely to draw in for tonight’s Game 3 against the Hurricanes, per NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. The Czech pivot hasn’t played in over seven months due to suspected concussion symptoms.

The Rangers have only ever confirmed that Chytil missed time with an upper-body injury, although multiple reports have suggested concussions were the reason for his absence. He sustained the initial suspected concussion against the Hurricanes on Nov. 2, leading him to return to Czechia midseason for a brief period in his recovery.

Chytil returned to New York in mid-January, but during just his second session with the team in a non-contact jersey, he tripped and sustained a setback that required him to be helped off the ice by teammates during a lightly attended skate. The Rangers announced within days that Chytil would miss the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign, but he was medically cleared a bit sooner than expected and returned to practice with the club nearly a month ago.

With no hiccups in his return to game conditioning over the past few weeks, they now get him back with a chance to take a 3-0 stranglehold on their second-round series on the road in Carolina. Fourth-line enforcer Matt Rempe will be scratched to accommodate his return after logging a goal, 8 PIMs, and a +1 rating in just 6:22 of average ice time through his first six playoff games.

In 10 regular-season games before his injury, Chytil had six assists while averaging 15:56 per game. The 2017 first-round pick had a career-high 22 goals and 45 points last season.

Metropolitan Notes: Chytil, Fast, Martin, Seeley

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The New York Rangers will be joined by centerman Filip Chytil when they travel to Washington D.C. for Games Three and Four, per Mollie Walker of the New York Post (Twitter link). It’s another substantial step in Chytil’s storied return from a November 2nd concussion. The 24-year-old hasn’t played a game since and took time away from the team around the holidays to recover in his native Czechia. He returned to New York in late January and received clearance to return to practice just two games before the end of the regular season.

Chytil has since worked his way out of a no-contact jersey, and back to full conditioning, even serving in Alexander Wennberg’s slot as the fourth-line center during the team’s Thursday morning practice while Wennberg took a maintenance day. There has been no indication of Chytil’s game availability, but his traveling is certainly an encouraging step. He’s been out of the lineup for six months and 74 games, ending his season with six assists in 10 games.

Other notes from the Metro Division:

  • Forward Jesper Fast will remain out of the Carolina Hurricanes lineup in Game Three, shares team reporter Walt Ruff (Twitter link). Fast hasn’t skated since exiting the team’s season-finale with an upper-body injury, missing the last two games. He was a steadfast piece of Carolina’s fourth line this season, recording 19 points in 73 games while averaging roughly 12-and-a-half minutes of ice time. His absence has made way for Jack Drury to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, after playing in 13 games in last year’s postseason. Drury has recorded two assists in two games but is still searching for the first postseason goal of his career.
  • New York Islanders veteran Matt Martin sustained an undisclosed injury and will be a game-time decision for Game Three, head coach Patrick Roy shared with The Athletic’s Arthur Staple (Twitter link). Martin has averaged just north of 10 minutes of ice time through the first two games of the series, recording 16 penalty minutes, five hits, and two blocked shots. Forwards Ruslan Iskhakov and Oliver Wahlstrom will likely contend for the open spot should Martin sit. Iskhakov was impressive when he received his NHL debut in the team’s season finale, recording an assist and seeming well-adjusted. He’d be an interesting change-of-pace option if the Islanders are looking for a spark, though Wahlstrom’s 32 NHL games this season could earn him the edge. The Islanders are currently down 2-0 in their First Round matchup with the Hurricanes.
  • Carolina has recalled defenseman Ronan Seeley as a black ace, shares Walt Ruff (Twitter link). Seeley has yet to make his NHL debut, though he did record 14 points in 58 AHL games this season. He’s in his second pro season, after being drafted in the seventh-round of the 2020 NHL Draft. Seeley is one of four extra defenders on Carolina’s roster, alongside Scott Morrow, Dylan Coghlan, and the injured Brett Pesce.

Filip Chytil Medically Cleared, Skating With Rangers

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Rangers center Filip Chytil is skating with the Rangers at this morning’s practice in a non-contact jersey, Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today Sports reports. Per Mercogliano, Chytil has been medically cleared to return after missing the last six months with two suspected concussions, although the team has only officially designated him with an upper-body injury. The team announced in late January that Chytil was expected to miss the remainder of 2023-24 after sustaining a setback in his recovery.

Today marked Chytil’s first time skating with the team since Jan. 26, when he had to be helped off the ice after sustaining a setback related to his initial suspected concussion in early November. The team will carefully manage his return to the lineup, and he isn’t expected to play in their two remaining regular-season contests.

However, given today’s medical clearance, playoffs may now be possible for Chytil, says Mercogliano. There remains no timetable for a return, and his availability for Game 1 of a first-round series next weekend should be considered doubtful at best.

Chytil’s near-season-long absence factored heavily into GM Chris Drury’s approach to the trade deadline. Their big fish was two-way center Alexander Wennberg, acquiring him from the Kraken for a pair of draft picks to anchor their third line, just as Chytil was expected to do behind Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad. Wennberg has been fine in a shutdown role since the swap, scoring once and adding four assists in 17 games while averaging 15:09 per game. His possession metrics have been promising, given his heavy defensive-zone usage, posting a 52.2 CF% and 50.0 xGF% at even strength since the swap. He hasn’t been much of a factor short-handed, though, averaging less than a minute per game on the penalty kill.

However, getting Chytil back for their pending playoff action would give them a much more mobile option to center their third line with significantly higher offensive upside. The 24-year-old set career highs across the board last season, notching 22 goals and 45 points in 77 contests with a +15 rating. He didn’t score a goal through 10 games this season before exiting with injury, but he did manage six assists. He also had a goal and three assists in last year’s seven-game loss to the Devils in the first round. That would allow Wennberg to slide to a more comfortable fourth-line shutdown role, relieving him of the offensive responsibility that comes with buoying current third-line wingers William Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko.

Chytil’s long-term health and recovery will still be top of mind as the Rangers ease him back into the lineup, whether that’s this postseason or during training camp next fall. The 2017 first-round pick is only one season into the four-year, $17.75MM extension he signed in the Big Apple in March 2023.

Filip Chytil To Miss Remainder Of 2023-24 Season

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Rangers center Filip Chytil will miss the rest of the 2023-24 season after sustaining a setback in his recovery from a suspected concussion last week, the team announced Sunday.

Chytil sustained the upper-body injury in a Nov. 2 game against the Hurricanes in a collision with opposing winger Jesper Fast and has not played since. The 24-year-old had recently returned to practice with the Rangers after spending a portion of his rehab process skating in his native Czechia.

It’s a tough blow for a young pivot looking to build on his breakout 2022-23 campaign. The 2017 first-round pick posted career-highs across the board last year with 22 goals, 23 assists, 45 points, and a +15 rating.

Chytil’s $4.44MM cap hit will remain on long-term injured reserve for the rest of the season. They haven’t dipped much into their LTIR pool for relief, so they’ll likely have around that figure to spend on added salaries at the March 8 trade deadline. Through 10 games this season, Chytil had six assists with a spectacular 59.1% Corsi share at even strength while getting an extended look in the top six for the first time in his career.

Most of that cap space will likely go toward finding a replacement for Chytil down the middle. AHL call-up Jonny Brodzinski has performed admirably in a third-line role, producing 11 points in 30 games with positive possession metrics, but a team with Stanley Cup aspirations will want a more tested performer behind Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad at center. Brodzinski’s services would be ideal on the fourth line, which hasn’t seen a solid option in the middle this season. Nick Bonino was recently waived and assigned to AHL Hartford, while Barclay Goodrow has struggled heavily with only one goal in 47 games and negative defensive impacts.

The Rangers hope the extended time off can permit Chytil to focus fully on his rehab and aid him in returning to NHL play for the 2024-25 campaign. PHR sends its best wishes to Chytil as he continues in his recovery.

Evening Snapshots: Chytil, Hayden, Kirkland

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1/26: The Arizona Coyotes have reversed Justin Kirkland’s assignment to Tuscon, recalling the forward on an emergency basis.

1/25: A few days ago, reporting suggested that the New York Rangers had no clear timeline for the return of Filip Chytil, who has been out of the lineup with an upper-body injury since November 2nd. In a positive development this afternoon, it was reported that Chytil has resumed skating, and was back on the ice today for practice albeit in a non-contact jersey (X Link).

With Jonny Brodzinski the current center on the team’s third-line, seeing the return of Chytil to the active roster would almost certainly improve the team’s center depth for their stretch run into the playoffs. Having only played 10 of the team’s 47 games, Chytil has tallied a total of six assists on the year with no goals.

Just now returning to the ice, it will likely be a few more weeks until Chytil is ready to return, but at the very least it is now on the team’s horizon. As one of the more dominant teams in the league at the beginning of the season, the Rangers are 3-5-2 in their last 10 games, averaging 2.6 goals a game; showing a clear need for an offensive jolt.

Other snapshots:

  • Having been recalled a few days ago on January 19th, the Seattle Kraken have returned forward John Hayden to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, per a team announcement. Over the callup, Hayden went scoreless in two games for Seattle, and will now return to a Firebirds team where he has four goals and 10 points in 33 games. In a similar role this season within the Kraken organization, with a relatively clean bill of health down the middle of the ice this year, Seattle has not needed to utilize Hayden down the middle of the ice in the bottom of the lineup.
  • Continuing his call-up carousel, the Arizona Coyotes reassigned forward Justin Kirkland to their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, to create a roster spot for newly claimed forward Adam Ruzicka. Now having been recalled on four separate occasions, Kirkland has managed only two games in Arizona, going scoreless in both contests. Conversely, at the AHL level, Kirkland is in the midst of a highly productive season, scoring two goals and 16 points in 18 games for the Roadrunners.

Filip Chytil Sustains Reported Setback In Recovery From Upper-Body Injury

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Rangers center Filip Chytil had to be helped off the ice after an undisclosed injury sustained during Friday’s optional skate left him on the ice for “several minutes,” Peter Botte of the New York Post reports. Post colleague Larry Brooks adds that Chytil has completed evaluation and has returned to his New York home, and the injury sustained today is related to the suspected concussion that’s kept him out since Nov. 2.

Today was the 24-year-old’s second day skating with the team after returning to practice in a non-contact jersey Thursday. Chytil, who has a history of suspected concussions, returned to his native Czechia at the end of December to continue his recovery and arrived back in New York earlier this week.

The 21st overall pick in the 2017 draft posted six assists through 10 games to start the campaign. His average time on ice of 15:56 was a career-high.

A setback in his recovery will likely extend an already lengthy recovery process. Chytil has missed 37 games with the injury, which the Rangers have only officially labeled as upper-body.

Chytil is in the first season of a four-year, $17.75MM deal with a $4.44MM cap hit signed in March 2023. He posted career-highs in every offensive category last season, recording 22 goals, 23 assists and 45 points with a +15 rating in 74 games.

Without his services, the Rangers remain stretched for depth at center. Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad are capable in the top-six, both producing over 0.96 points per game and averaging over 19 minutes. The bottom six, however, features 30-year-old AHL call-up Jonny Brodzinski on the third line and declining checking forward (and natural winger) Barclay Goodrow on the fourth. Goodrow, who’s in the third year of a six-year, $21.85MM deal with trade protection, has one goal and five points in 45 games this season with extremely poor possession metrics. Offseason veteran signing Nick Bonino hasn’t been any better and was assigned to AHL Hartford on Friday after clearing waivers.

The Rangers are still in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 61 points but have a 3-5-2 record in their last 10 games. They’re two points ahead with no games in hand on the surging Hurricanes, who have won two straight and seven of their last 10.

Chytil will stay on long-term injured reserve, where he’s been since Nov. 28. As such, the Rangers have $3.67MM in their LTIR pool available for use, per CapFriendly.

Metro Notes: Toffoli, Tippett, Chytil, Svechnikov

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In his press conference this afternoon, the General Manager of the New Jersey Devils, Tom Fitzgerald, spoke on the upcoming unrestricted free agency of forward Tyler Toffoli and his interest in extending Toffoli beyond this season (X Link). Fitzgerald mentioned that he has had multiple agents with Toffoli’s agent to gauge the interest in Toffoli returning to the Devils for the next several years.

Acquired from the Calgary Flames over the offseason, the trade for Toffoli will likely be one of the bigger win-win trades for both teams. With Yegor Sharangovich producing rather well in Calgary, Toffoli currently sits third on the Devils in points with 20 goals and 33 points in 45 games.

At 31 years of age, it is unlikely that Toffoli will command a long-term contract by any stretch, but with his production over the last couple of seasons, he may command anywhere from $6MM-$7MM on the open market. Having just over $67MM in commitments for next season, New Jersey will have around $20MM in cap space next summer, giving them an adequate amount of space to retain Toffoli under that dollar value. However, with Michael McLeod and Dawson Mercer also needing contracts after this season, the Devils may look to spend their money elsewhere.

Other Metro notes:

  • With several roster moves taking place today for the Philadelphia Flyers, the team also announced that they have placed forward Owen Tippett on injured reserve retroactive to January 21st. Unfortunately, with the Flyers’ last game before the All-Star break coming on January 27th, this means that Tippett will have to wait until February 6th to get back into a game. On a similar pace to last season, Tippett has scored 18 goals and 30 points in 46 games for Philadelphia so far this year.
  • Having been on the New York Rangers’ long-term injured reserve since November 28th, there is still no timeline for the return of Filip Chytil according to head coach Peter Laviolette (X Link). Hoping to build off his successful 2022-23 season under a new coach, Chytil has only managed 10 games before suffering an upper-body injury in early November, limiting his production to a total of six assists on the season.
  • In an undisclosed injury up to this point, Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal is reporting that Carolina Hurricanes’ forward Andrei Svechnikov would miss the team’s game against the Boston Bruins. Already dealing with injuries earlier in the season, Svechnikov has returned at a scorching pace, scoring 11 goals and 30 points in 29 games. In later reporting, Lavalette noted that Svechnikov’s current injury is unrelated to his injury struggles earlier in the year.

Snapshots: Gauthier, Chytil, Danielson

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Cutter Gauthier shared that he is currently planning to sign his entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks following the conclusion of Boston College’s season, per team reporter Derek Lee. This news comes after Gauthier’s sudden trade to Anaheim, with the Ducks sending Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick back to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Gauthier added that he feels Boston College has a good chance of winning the 2024 Beanpot and the NCAA championship. The Eagles currently rank on top of USCHO.com’s Men’s Ice Hockey Rankings, boasting a 13-3-1 record. They are tied with the University of Maine for the fewest losses of any top-20 team.

Gauthier has commanded the top center role with Boston College this season, scoring 23 points in his 17 appearances this year – a mark that’s ranked second on the team, behind New York Rangers prospect Gabe Perreault, who has 25 points. Gauthier earned the top role partway through his freshman year last season when he led the team in scoring with 37 points in 32 games. His goal-scoring has also been of note in college, with his 13 goals in 17 games ranked fourth in the NCAA in goals-per-game.

Other notes from around the league:

  • If and when young centerman Filip Chytil is able to return from long-term injured reserve is likely to dictate how the New York Rangers approach the trade deadline, per NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. Rosen shares that the Rangers could certainly be an active team as the trade deadline approaches, but that Chytil’s $4.4375MM cap hit will severely limit the team’s ability to add talent should it be added back to their bill. Chytil has been out of action since November 2nd, missing 23 games. The 24-year-old recently returned to his home country of Czechia to continue recovering from what is believed to be a concussion. Chytil recorded 22 goals and 45 points in 74 games last season.
  • Detroit Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson has been traded in the WHL, moving from the Brandon Wheat Kings to the Portland Winterhawks. In return, Brandon has received Nicholas Johnson, Rhett Ravndahl, two first-round picks, and a fifth-round pick. Johnson hasn’t played since December 10th, battling his way back from a lower-body injury. Danielson is one of only two players on the Brandon roster scoring at a point-per-game pace, managing 26 points in as many appearances. He led the team in scoring last year with 33 goals and 78 points in 68 games – a mark that was enough for Detroit to select him with the ninth-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. He now moves to a Portland team that ranks second in the WHL’s Western Conference, with a 25-10-2 record.

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