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Filip Chytil

Metropolitan Notes: Chytil, Fast, Jarventie

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It appears that Blake Wheeler won’t be the only Rangers forward who will be able to return from the sidelines for the Eastern Conference Final.  Center Filip Chytil told reporters including Lohud’s Vince Z. Mercogliano that he wants to suit up against Florida although he stopped short of pronouncing himself at 100%.  Chytil missed more than six months working back from a suspected concussion and subsequent setbacks and was able to return to the lineup for the third game last round against Carolina.  However, he missed the following game due to illness (believed to be a bug going around the room, not a recurrence of concussion-like symptoms) and didn’t suit up in the final two contests.  If healthy, Chytil would give New York another threat offensively but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team be extra cautious with the 24-year-old for the rest of the playoffs.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Hurricanes winger Jesper Fast missed the entire postseason due to a neck injury and it appears the extent of it is still unknown. Speaking at his exit interview with reporters including team reporter Walt Ruff (Twitter link), the 32-year-old was still in a neck brace and indicated that he’s still undergoing tests to determine exactly what happened.  Fast had 19 points in 73 games during the regular season and will be entering the final year of his contract next season, one that carries a $2.4MM cap hit.
  • Penguins prospect Emil Jarventie has signed a one-year deal with Tappara in Finland’s Liiga, per a team announcement. The 19-year-old was a seventh-round pick by Pittsburgh last year, going 217th overall.  Jarventie, whose brother Roby plays in Ottawa’s system, spent this season primarily at the second-tier Mestis level with Koovee, picking up nine goals and 12 assists.  Pittsburgh has until June 1st, 2027, to sign him to an NHL deal so they can afford to be patient with Jarventie’s development for a while.

Evening Notes: Chytil, NHL Awards, Hakanpää

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New York Rangers center Filip Chytil isn’t in the lineup tonight and is now considered day-to-day (per Mollie Walker of The New York Post). The 24-year-old missed Saturday’s game with an unknown illness and now reportedly has an issue with soreness. The news led many to speculate that Chytil’s issues could be related to the concussions that limited him to ten regular season games, but Walker adds that the illness is unrelated to previous injuries.

Chytil has dealt with four documented concussions in his short career and will likely need to exercise caution anytime he has an upper-body injury going forward. A concussion sidelined him for over six months this season before he returned to the lineup for Game 3 on Thursday in Carolina. However, two days later he was not on the ice which brought about concern about his condition. Chytil skated with the team this morning and was reportedly a game-time decision tonight, but he was ultimately not included in the lineup.

In other evening notes:

  • The NHL has announced a date and venue for the 2024 NHL Awards show. The show will take place on Thursday, June 27th at the brand-new Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. The show will begin at 7 pm and will be broadcast live on ESPN and Sportsnet. The NHL has been announcing nominees over the past few weeks and will now host the event in Las Vegas for the first time since 2019 and the 11th time overall.
  • Ryan Boulding of NHL.com is reporting that the Dallas Stars dressed the same lineup tonight that they did in Game 3 against the Colorado Avalanche. The news means that Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpää remains sidelined with a lower-body injury. The 32-year-old hasn’t dressed since March 16th and has missed 13 regular season games, and 11 playoff games after tonight. Hakanpää’s time frame to return remains a mystery as he comes up on two months since the last time he played. Hakanpää dressed in 64 games this season, posting two goals and ten assists. The 6’6″, 225lb defender has been durable during his brief NHL career, missing just a handful of games since breaking into the league during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.

Morning Notes: Brindley, Soucy, Reichel, Rangers

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Team USA has added Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Gavin Brindley to their World Championship lineup, per Steven Ellis of the Daily Faceoff (Twitter link). Brindley becomes the fourth collegiate athlete to join the squad, stepping into a room with World Juniors teammates Will Smith, Ryan Leonard, and Trey Augustine. The quartet played a major role in USA’s drive towards the 2024 World Juniors Gold Medal – and they’re now rewarded with an opportunity with the Men’s National Team. Brindley isn’t expected to line up for USA’s Monday matchup against Team Slovakia, instead joining Leonard and Matt Kessel as the team’s healthy scratches.

Brindley is continuing to have a fruitful off-season, signing his entry-level contract and making his NHL debut in early April. He received 12 minutes of ice time but wasn’t able to change his stat line. With Columbus’ season ending soon after, Brindley’s scoring this season was limited to the 25 goals and 53 points he managed in 40 games with the University of Michigan. He also added 10 points in seven World Juniors games.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The NHL Department of Player Safety is expected to hold a hearing for Vancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Soucy could be facing punishment for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid in the face, after McDavid was knocked over by Nikita Zadorov, during a late-game scrum. Soucy has been suspended once in his career, receiving a one-game booking for charging Conor Garland in March of 2021. He was also assessed a $2,500 fine for a roughing penalty in November of 2022. It will likely be Noah Juulsen who steps in should Soucy miss any time. Juulsen has played in one postseason game this Spring, recording a -1 in 11:24 of ice time. Juulsen is coming off a career-high 54 NHL appearances this season, though he only managed seven points.
  • Team Germany has also made a lineup addition, bringing in Chicago Blackhawks forward Lukas Reichel, per Ellis (Twitter link). Reichel has been a key piece of Germany’s international presence, recording 11 points in 13 games across the last two World Championships. He also joined the team at the World U18 Division 1-A Championship in 2019 and the World Juniors in 2020. Reichel is coming off an up-and-down year, scoring just 16 points in 65 NHL games. He’ll look to reestablish his scoring spark in the familiarity of international play, with five games remaining on Germany’s slate before the quarter-finals.
  • The New York Rangers welcomed forward Filip Chytil back to practice on Monday, after he missed Game 4 with an illness. Blake Wheeler is also progressing from injury, upgrading to a full-contact jersey, shares Vince Mercogliano of USA Today Sports (Twitter link). Both Chytil and Wheeler should slot right back into the lineup, should both be cleared to play, likely bumping Jonny Brodzinski and Will Cuylle back to the skybox. Wheeler made a strong impact on the Winnipeg Jets’ first round run last season, scoring six points in five games to bring his career playoff scoring up to 45 points in 65 games.

Morning Notes: Kirk, Chytil, Drouin

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Gritty forward Liam Kirk has agreed to a deal with the Eisbären Berlin of the DEL, Germany’s top league, as announced by the team. The deal continues his journey around Europe, with Kirk playing in Czechia and Finland in each of the last two seasons, following a two-year career in North American pros. The Arizona Coyotes selected Kirk in the seventh round of the 2018 NHL Draft, making him the third Englishman to be selected in the draft.

Kirk was drafted out of the EIHL, England’s top league, but moved to the OHL in the season following his draft. He appeared in 110 games across two years with the Peterborough Petes, recording 47 goals and 97 points. Kirk returned to the EIHL after the OHL canceled their 2020-21 season and once again performed well on home turf. With a strong training camp to boot, Kirk earned his entry-level contract with the Coyotes ahead of the 2021-22 season. But Kirk suffered a season-ending knee injury just eight games (and three points) into the season. He’d return for one AHL game and 15 ECHL games in 2022-23 but moved to Finland midway through the year. His contract was terminated ahead of the 2023-24 season, giving Kirk full reign to pursue a European career.

That’s the path Kirk is continuing with this move, although his production could warrant the attention of North American pros in the future. He scored 19 goals and 30 points in 52 games in the Czechia Extraliga this season, ranking fourth on his team in goals in his first year in central Europe. He now moves to an Eisbären Berlin team coming off their 10th DEL Championship. Berlin is also home to former NHLer Zach Boychuk, as well as former NHL prospects Yannick Velilleux, Frederik Tiffels, Ben Finkelstein, and Ty Ronning.

Other notes from around the league:

  • New York Rangers centerman Filip Chytil is feeling better after missing Game 4 with illness. He is hoping to be an option in Game 5, head coach Peter Laviolette tells NHL.com’s Dan Rosen (Twitter link). Chytil recently returned from a long absence with a concussion, with Game 3 marking his first game since November. Jonny Brodzinski filled in for Chytil on Saturday, with two faceoff wins marking the only change to his stat line. Chytil will look to add to his 13 points in 31 career postseason appearances with a strong Game 5, likely slotting abck into his third-line role should he be cleared.
  • There is reportedly a chance that Colorado Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin is healthy enough to play in Game 4, shares Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now (Twitter link). Drouin suffered a lower-body injury in the final game of Colorado’s regular season. He returned to practices partway through last week but still had no timetable for a return, outside of a hope that he’d be ready at some point in the second round. It seems that time is drawing close – tremendous news for an Avalanche offense that’s given Drouin plenty of platform to thrive. He scored a career-high 56 points through 79 games this season, including 19 goals. It was a statement year after Drouin seemingly flatlined with the Montreal Canadiens. He’ll look to reignite the flame in Colorado’s push for the Stanley Cup – his first playoff appearance since 2020.

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.

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