Key reason Rangers should ‘hang on to’ Brennan Othmann despite trade rumors
With trade trade rumors swirling around forward Brennan Othmann following his demotion to the minor leagues, perhaps the best course of action for the New York Rangers is to sit tight.
At least that’s what respected hockey reporter and podcast host Jonny Lazarus believes. And there’s one main reason above others why he takes this stance.
“It sucks now because the value is so low,” Lazarus told Forever Blueshirts on the RINK RAP podcast. “So, what are you really getting in return? Why not hang on to him?”
A valid point.
If the Rangers are inclined to trade Othmann, it makes sense for them to allow the 22-year-old to restore some of the luster to his diminished value. And it shouldn’t take a lot to do that. Othmann was a first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, scored 50 goals one season in the OHL with Erie, netted 21 goals as a rookie pro with Hartford of the American Hockey League in 2023-24, and is willing to be a shit disturber, for lack of a more PC phrase.
That’s a pretty good baseline. Now if Othmann lives up to that reputation and recaptures what made him a top prospect in the first place, the Rangers have something to work with — either to give him another chance on their roster or trade him, when his value is higher.
“We don’t know what this team might look like next year … and there could be a spot for him,” Lazarus said. “There’s not that many open spots but I still think Brennan Othmann will be an NHL player somewhere.”
There was at least one forward spot to be won at Rangers training camp, but Othmann failed to adequately impress Mike Sullivan and the new coaching staff. It was equally disappointing for both the player and the Rangers organization, when he didn’t even make it to the final round of cuts.
That disappointment followed an uninspiring 22-game stint with the Rangers last season, when Othmann recorded just two assists, though stuck primarily in a fourth-line role. Still, Othmann is without a goal in 25 NHL games, including a three-game cameo two seasons ago.
And all of that led up to a recent report by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who said that the Rangers have had “conversations” with teams about Othmann.
Brennan Othmann ‘wasn’t doing anything to stand out’ before being cut at Rangers camp
Lazarus sees one major issue with Othmann.
“For him, coming into camp, the confidence just was not there. And hockey players are nothing without confidence,” Lazarus stated.
“I think when you play 25 games in the NHL and you’re kind of known to be a goal scorer and you don’t see a puck go in, it’s hard to find that confidence. The guys that get it right away, get the monkey off their back, they don’t think about it.”
That was evident in the preseason, when Othmann had one strong outing and four average or below-average ones.
“Even just watching him play, his feet weren’t going,” Lazarus explained. “It’s something I noticed right away in the first preseason game (against the New Jersey Devils), Mike Sullivan was yelling at him on the bench, ‘Get your feet going! Get your feet going!’ … But I just really felt like he wasn’t hanging on to pucks, he was deferring to linemates.”
Each is a sign of a player lacking confidence.
“He’s very self aware. When he did talk to me, he knew how he was playing, he wasn’t trying to bullshit anybody.”
That’s not to say it was all bad for Othmann in the preseason.
“Yeah, he was throwing the body, he was blocking shots. He was doing the things you would actually need a third-liner to do, but he wasn’t doing anything to stand out,” Lazarus offered. “I know he scored that one goal (against the Islanders), it was a nice snipe, but I think bringing in [Conor] Sheary and the internal competition there maybe screwed with his head a little bit.”
The best thing for all involved is for Othmann to settle in and consistently fill the net with Hartford as part of a strong two-way game down in the minors. From there, the Rangers can determine if his future remains with them, or somewhere else.
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