With it currently unknown when Filip Chytil will return to the New York Rangers, as he is dealing with yet another concussion in his young career, now seems like a good time to look back at his career so far. He was drafted 21st overall in the 2017 Draft and has scored 64 goals and 144 points in 337 career games. This puts him at 11th overall in terms of points from his draft class. He is also surprisingly, the third longest-tenured Ranger on the team, only behind Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, as he has played seven seasons for the team. At just 24 years old, he has already played in so many games, he can be considered an NHL veteran. Let’s look back at some of his career highlights and also see what the future may hold for him as a Ranger.
The 2022 Playoffs
The 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs are looked back on by many Rangers fans as the time when the team took the next step on their path to becoming a Stanley Cup contender. They made it to the Eastern Conference Final and had a 2-0 series lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning, but failed to get the job done. While the team didn’t get to where they wanted to be, the only player who really stood out was Chytil. He centered what was called “The Kid Line”, with Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko. This line was dominant and was the Rangers’ best line for the majority of the playoffs and Chytil was the stand out player. He scored seven goals and nine points in 20 games and was a key factor in many of the games during the playoff run.
Chytil’s best moments came in Game 7 of the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes and Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Lightning. He scored a breakaway goal in Game 7 to make it 5-1 Rangers right after the Hurricanes got their first goal and he took the life out of the Canes fans in PNC Arena. Then, in Game 1, he scored two goals, but his second one is the most remembered because it came after the Rangers kept the Lightning in their zone for over a minute and he scored an amazing one-timer to make it 4-2. The 2022 Playoffs are when he started to become the player fans wanted him to be.
2022-23 Regular Season: A Career Season
Chytil followed up his playoff performance by having his the best season of his career during the 2022-23 regular season. He scored 22 goals and 45 points in 74 games played. He would have had more if he hadn’t missed time with a concussion. He produced these numbers while still playing a third-line role and not getting much power-play time. Everything about his game was improved from years past. His speed was better, his shot was more accurate and dangerous and he was just more confident in himself.
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Chytil’s play earned him a contract extension before the season ended, as he signed a four-year contract worth $4,437,500 average annual value. This was seen as a steal of a deal by general manager Chris Drury. Fans thought he would get at least $5 million on his next deal and because he was playing so well, maybe even a bit more. Getting him at this number was as good as it could get for both Drury and the fans. He was one of the bright spots on a team that had high expectations, but they fell short, losing in the first round of the playoffs to the New Jersey Devils. This season was supposed to be another big season for him, but unfortunately, it is unknown when or if he will return this season.
What’s Next For Chytil?
Being that this is the fourth concussion he has suffered during his young career, it is concerning to see just how it has impacted him. His everyday life is more important than his playing career and it makes sense that is he taking his time in coming back from this injury. Concussions are very serious and once you have one, the more susceptible you are to getting more. Unfortunately for Chytil, he has gotten more and the effects are getting worse. The Rangers should be moving forward with the thinking that he won’t be back this season and that might be what is best for the player if he wants to avoid getting another concussion or another type of injury.
It won’t be easy for the Rangers to replace what Chytil brought to the team. He was playing extremely well on the line with Lafreniere and Artemi Panarin before his injury and even though he didn’t score a goal, he was still setting up plays and driving play for his line. If he remains out for the rest of the season, the Rangers can keep him on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) and use the cap space to bring in another player, most likely a center to help fill the void his absence has left.
All that matters is for Chytil to get healthy and to feel as good as possible because, for him, his life is more than just hockey. He has a long life ahead of him and if he can come back and play for the Rangers in the future, he will be a welcomed addition to the team.
