Brennan Othmann is one of the New York Rangers’ top prospects and going into training camp, he was going to have to battle for a spot on this team as most of the spots are already filled by other, more established players. While it is more than likely that he will start the season with the Hartford Wolfpack, after watching his performance against the New York Islanders in his first pre-season game, it feels like Othmann can provide more to the Rangers than a player like Tyler Pitlick or Jimmy Vesey. He can score goals, play a physical game, and isn’t afraid to go to the net and the other dirty areas. If he continues to play well in the preseason, the Rangers should consider giving him a look in the top-nine to start the season.
More High-Scoring Upside
If the Rangers are going to keep Othmann up with the team, he isn’t going to play on the fourth line. It looks like they already have their fourth line set with Barclay Goorow playing with Nick Bonino and Pitlick. If Othmann earns a spot, he will be playing in the top-nine. He would likely be playing on a line centered by either Flip Chytil or Vincent Trocheck. He provides more scoring upside in the top-nine than a player like Vesey, who is more suited to a fourth-line role and could swap out with Pitlick or Bonino when necessary.
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Two seasons ago in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Flint Firebirds, he scored 50 goals and had 97 points in 66 games played. He has the offensive upside and if he got the chance to play with some of the skilled players on the Rangers, he could be a big success for the team.
Adds More Physical Play
While Othmann does have a scoring upside to his game, he is also a player that isn’t afraid to get physical when he needs to. We saw it during the game against the Islanders when he landed a big hit and caused a scrum to ensue. While he’s not the biggest player, that doesn’t stop him from using his body and knocking his opponents off the puck and creating a scoring chance for himself or a teammate. The Rangers want to play a more physical game and Othmann is the perfect player who fits that mold.
Othmann is also a player who plays in the dirty areas and isn’t afraid to go to the front of the net if it means he has a better chance of scoring a goal or setting up a teammate to score. The Rangers have lacked those kinds of players for a few years now and Othmann is the perfect example of a player who fits that style of play. The line with him, Trocheck and Kaapo Kakko looked good together and all three of them like to play in the dirty areas. If they played on a line together during the season, it would be a great line for the Rangers and a problem for other teams to deal with.
No Harm In Giving Him the Opportunity
The Rangers have nothing to lose by giving him a shot to start the season in the top-nine. They can see how it goes for the first few games and if they don’t like what they see, they can send him to Hartford and he can play top-line minutes down there and continue to grow his game. Othmann is a prospect the Rangers are very high on and they don’t want him to turn out like some of their former first-round picks. If they think he is ready to play in the NHL, then give him the chance. If he’s not, no harm done and he can try again later in the season or next year.
