Rangers Daily: Concern for Filip Chytil; Latest milestone for Sidney Crosby
Tuesday marks the second meeting between the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks since they consummated the big J.T. Miller trade on Jan. 31 last season.
Miller, now the Rangers’ captain, scored an empty-net goal against the Canucks at Madison Square Garden nearly two months after the trade, on March 22. He returns to Rogers Arena on Tuesday for the first time since the Canucks dealt him to the Rangers, amid his bitter dispute — not with the team but with Vancouver’s star center Elias Pettersson.
Considering that Miller played 440 games with the Canucks and had his three best seasons with them, including 103 points in 2023-24, his homecoming is a big deal. That’s true no matter how Miller might try to downplay the significance leading up to puck drop.
Outside of the “what could have been” feel for the Canucks and their fans Tuesday, there’s another melancholy subplot to this reunion.
Filip Chytil won’t be in the Canucks lineup. Again. The key player sent to Vancouver in that trade last season won’t face his former team Tuesday because Chytil is on IR with an unspecified injury after Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals laid him out with an open-ice hit more than a week ago.
Remember, Chytil missed his Garden homecoming in March because he was on IR then, too, with a concussion.
Again.
It’s frightening how many head injuries Chytil has sustained in nine NHL seasons. He’s still only 26 years old, with plenty of life ahead of him. But you can’t help but fear what his future holds — and what kind of toll all these injuries will take on him.
Chytil sounded upbeat about his health and the upcoming season in a series of interviews in September. He scored two goals in the Canucks’ season opener and had three in five games until another hard hit in Game 6 sent to him to the IR. Again.
It’s worth keeping Chytil in mind and in your prayers when tuning in to the Rangers-Canucks game Tuesday.
New York Rangers news and analysis
John Kreiser breaks down an important week for the Rangers, with three road games, beginning in Vancouver on Tuesday.
And we address an important question: Have the Rangers hit rock bottom after that ugly 5-1 loss to the last-overall Calgary Flames on Sunday?
Jackson Dorrington is a hard-hitting defenseman prospect for the Rangers, who’s finding his stride with their AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack. That’s part of this week’s update from Hartford in Ricky Milliner’s latest AHL column.
NHL news and rumors
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Dan Kingerski details how Sidney Crosby became the ninth player in NHL history to reach 1,700 points. Sid is just 22 behind Mario Lemieux for the most in Pittsburgh Penguins history — and eighth all-time in the NHL.
TSN: Former Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Kesler pled not guilty to two counts of criminal sexual misconduct in Michigan.
Sportsnet: Eric Engels put together an excellent article about Montreal Canadiens stud rookie Ivan Demidov, based on several pointed questions he asked of respected NHL scouts. Interestingly, several of them compared Demidov to retired Detroit Red Wings great Pavel Datsyuk.
Sportsnaut: Need more Demidov? Here’s a breakdown of the rookie’s impact on the Canadiens power play, courtesy of Marc Dumont.
Florida Hockey Now: Can it get any worse for the Florida Panthers? George Richards reports that the injury-ravaged defending Stanley Cup champions will also be without Brad Marchand (death in family) and Jonah Gadjovich (undisclosed injury) when they host the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.
Daily Faceoff: So, what’s next for Matt Coronato after the Calgary Flames scratched the skilled forward against the Rangers on Sunday night?
NHL.com: Dave McCarthy reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs are “pumped” to have Joseph Woll back at practice, after he took a personal leave of absence Sept. 23. Woll is eligible to come off LTIR on Saturday, and general manager Brad Treliving said there’s a good chance the goalie will be game-ready by then.
New Jersey Hockey Now: David Pagnotta told James Nichols on the Devils Rink Report podcast that the Devils and goalie Jacob Markstrom paused contract negotiations so that the veteran can focus on rehabbing an injury. Talks will continue soon as Markstrom is making strides on his return to the lineup,
More About: New York Rangers News
