Update: Filip Chytil sends out message after season-ending injury
The New York Rangers announced the inevitable news that center Filip Chytil has officially been ruled out for the rest of the season.
There was hope that the 24-year-old center would return at some point after the All Star break. He suffered a setback directly related to the suspected concussion he was recovering from at Friday’s optional morning skate.
“Following a thorough evaluation of Filip Chytil after his recent setback from an upper-body injury, it is confirmed that he will be out for the remainder of the season,” the Rangers statement read.
Filip Chytil out for season
Chytil sustained the upper-body injury on November 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes after an innocent hit from Jesper Fast. Since his injury, the Rangers never announced a timetable for his return to play.
On Thursday, he took part in practice after returning from Czechia early last week. It was a positive sign that the injured center was on the ice with his teammates, despite wearing a non-contact jersey.
Chytil, who is believed to have suffered multiple concussions throughout his seven-year NHL career had high hopes coming into the season. He started off strong, centering a line flanked by Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniére and picked up six assists in 10 games before this devastating injury.
Chris Drury is now faced with many questions regarding his roster approaching the March 8th trade deadline. The Rangers need a center to play behind Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck. They will have an additional $4.4 million of cap space and prior to this news, reports surfaced that they were in the market for one or two pivots.
The main priority for Chytil is his overall long term health. It is sad to see a young promising player suffer countless injuries in the prime of his career. However, Chytil posted a message on his Instagram to thank everyone for their kind words and that he will be back.
“It has been the hardest 3 months of my life and has not been easy for my family, closest people and of course for whole NY Rangers organization,” Chytil wrote. “But we gotta stay positive even in these tough moments and just think What is ahead of us! Thanks to you all for nice messages! I’ll come back stronger than ever!”
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