Why Rangers would be wrong to give up on Brennan Othmann now
Not that long ago, a young forward named Brennan Othmann was the Big Apple of the New York Rangers eye.
Much like new Rangers forward prospect Liam Greentree, acquired as the principal asset in the Artemi Panarin trade with the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, Othmann was a first-round draft pick who put up serious offensive numbers in junior hockey. As general manager Chris Drury’s first-ever draft pick, Othmann also played with a fiery edge that represented exactly where the Rangers’ new head of personnel wanted to take the organization in the near future.
Nearly five years since being chosen 16th overall in 2021, Othmann’s star dimmed to the point where he’s teetering dangerously close to getting hit with the “bust” label. Over 41 NHL games in parts of three seasons with the Rangers, Othmann hasn’t come close to popping, with one goal and two assists.
That’s a far cry from Othmann’s 2021-22 season with the Flint Firebirds of the OHL, when he piled up 50 goals and 47 assists in 66 games, along with 65 penalty minutes. Or even his 21-goal rookie pro season with Hartford of the American Hockey League in 2023-24.
Despite his apparently arrested developmental track, however, it’d be a mistake if the Rangers gave up on Othmann now.
Brennan Othmann’s offensive game, confidence disappeared with Rangers
It’s true that Othmann has produced barely anything scoring-wise on the NHL level. What he has done is flashed, if briefly, the exact skills that Drury and the organization saw when they selected him. The 6-foot, 192-pound winger is quick and goes to the net, playing the north-south game that the Rangers so desperately need, and when he gets into position, will show off the quick release and potent wrist shot that he used so effectively in juniors to gain a reputation as a finisher.
That’s what happened when Othmann scored his first NHL goal Jan. 17 against the Philadelphia Flyers, coming in on a 3-on-1 break and firing a feed from Will Cuylle past goaltender Samuel Ersson in the first period of a 6-3 victory.
That milestone didn’t open the floodgates, though. Othmann didn’t record another point the next seven games and was a healthy scratch in the Rangers’ final game before the Olympic break, a 2-0 home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.
So why is Othmann not on the rise since becoming a lineup regular in January? What’s clear is that the 23-year-old lacks confidence, with the jagged, irritating on-ice persona he exhibited with Flint nowhere to be found at the moment. For a player who thrives on bravado and an eagerness to engage with opponents – he readily dropped the gloves in juniors, the AHL and once last season with the Rangers – Othmann’s muted presence suggests he’s anything but comfortable at this point.
There are numerous potential reasons for that. The biggest is probably the fear of making mistakes, of which there have been more than a few – hardly an uncommon occurrence for young players trying to establish themselves in the NHL.
Coach Mike Sullivan made clear that Othmann needs to get better defensively and play more responsibly in all three zones. There’s little doubt that the winger is trying to prioritize that, and is overly cautious as a result. His impact has accordingly been tough to measure, even when he avoids gaffes that lead to goals or good scoring chances for opponents. And his Rangers tenure looks to be at its most precarious point after he sat out the loss to the Hurricanes.
When asked whether he scratched Othmann in order to keep him eligible to play in the AHL during the Olympic break, Sullivan replied tersely that had “nothing to do with it.”
“Well, ‘Otter’ and I have had a number of conversations, we had a conversation today, on why I made the decision I made,” he said Thursday . “And I think there are elements of his game that have to continue to improve in order for him to establish himself as an NHL player.”
Those comments were very similar to the ones Sullivan expressed when making Othmann one of the first cuts of training camp. It’s clear the coach feels like he isn’t seeing nearly enough to reward Othmann with increased responsibility.
The Rangers recalled Othmann for the second time this season Jan. 11, looking for a spark in the wake of an embarrassing 10-2 loss to the Boston Bruins. Other than the goal against the Flyers, though, it’s obvious that Othmann is at least partly in his own head, trying to justify the promotion by playing the way the coach wants him to. Right or wrong, being scratched against the Hurricanes doesn’t exactly send the message that what he’s doing is working.
Many reasons why Brennan Othmann is Rangers disappointment
As accomplished as the two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach Sullivan is, it’s also fair to question his handling of Othmann, who is averaging 9:55 of ice time this season mainly on the fourth line, a role for which he’s largely miscast. The Ontario native of course shouldn’t be gifted a top-six spot, but what about a consistent role on the third line? Othmann certainly didn’t look out of place in that role, when he played several games there with Noah Laba and Cuylle.
With the Rangers (22-29-6) going nowhere, losing 15 of 18 before the break, it’s difficult to see what harm any more Othmann mistakes will do in a lost season, one which should be used precisely to allow youngsters to work through such bad moments in the name of their development. Of course, if Sullivan doesn’t feel like Othmann is committed to doing what the coach expects of him, his usage becomes a secondary issue.
The considerable shadow of the Rangers’ developmental program, in fact, hangs over Othmann and numerous other prospects that have stalled or failed to pan out entirely in recent years. The Blueshirts are anything but the NHL model for bringing along highly-regarded kids who were expected to grow into core players. Those failures have plenty to do with why the Rangers entered a formally-stated “retool” period as they look to get younger and faster.
The idea of trading veterans for prospects is all well and good. But the club should take a hard look at its processes and the potential for growth that’s already on the roster. The tantalizing player that Othmann was at the lower levels is still there; it’s worth remembering that he was also productive with Hartford of the AHL, scoring 39 goals with 44 assists in 117 games over parts of three seasons. The Rangers must take at least some responsibility for seeing if he can be that edgy, emotional player with above-average offensive skills again, this time on Broadway.
It’s been a disappointing season for Othmann, who along with his uncertainty on the ice, took a beating from top NHL enforcer Nic Deslauriers in an ill-advised fight Dec. 20 against the Flyers. The fact that he’s beaten down, however, is exactly why the Rangers should be trying to lift him up. Quitting on Othmann now only reaises more questions about whether the organization possesses the ability to competently administer this supposed retool – whether Othmann ends up being a part of it or not.
