Amid Filip Chytil injury concern, Rangers recall center from AHL Hartford
Ahead of their four-game road trip and after an upper-body injury sustained by Filip Chytil two days prior, the New York Rangers recalled center Jake Leschyshyn from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Saturday.
Chytil will not travel with the Rangers to Seattle for the start of the road trip against the Kraken on Sunday. But the center hasn’t been ruled out from joining the Rangers later on the trip.
“Right now, he’s still getting evaluated and we’ll see,” coach Peter Laviolette said after practice Saturday.
If Chytil is out for one game or a stretch of games, the Rangers likely will slide Jonny Brodzinski in as the third-line center. The 31-year-old has one goal and one assist in seven games this season, and been a healthy scratch in eight games as the Rangers extra forward. He replaced Chytil on a line with Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko at practice Saturday.
In that scenario, Leschyshyn replaces Brodzinski as the extra forward. The 25-year-old has 77 games of NHL experience, including one game with the Rangers last season, on Jan. 11 against the St. Louis Blues. He also played 13 games with the Rangers in 2022-23 and parts of two seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights before that.
Leschyshyn has six points (two goals, four assists) in the NHL.
“He’s versatile. He’s playing well right now, playing a lot of minutes. He’s got speed, reliable,” Laviolette explained. “So, it’s a good piece to bring on the trip.”
This season with Hartford, Leschyshyn has four points (one goal, three assists) in 13 games. He had a short-handed assist in a 4-2 win against Charlotte on Friday. He also has a short-handed goal this season.
In 2023-24, Leschyshyn played 47 games with the Wolf Pack and finished with 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists).
Related: Victor Mancini scores goal in 1st game for AHL Hartford after defenseman assigned to minors
Filip Chytil sustains scary injury in Rangers win against Sharks
Laviolette remained tight-lipped about Chytil’s situation. But there’s got to be significant concern for Chytil, who left the game Thursday with an “upper-body injury” following an accidental second-period collision with teammate K’Andre Miller.
Chytill who has a history of head injuries, including from last season when he was limited to 10 regular-season games after sustaining an upper-body injury in November, appeared wobbly after Miller’s elbow accidentally caught him on the side of the helmet or possibly the jaw. He got up from the ice and skated to the bench at 12:26 of the second period and then headed to the dressing room for medical attention.
He returned to play later in the second and took one shift that lasted 61 seconds. That shift ended at 17:22, and he didn’t play again. Chytil was ruled out for the third period.
“Day to day. Getting evaluated right now,” Laviolette said postgame.
No one from the Rangers has said whether Chytil sustained a head injury. Laviolette even deflected a question from a reporter Saturday that referred to Chytil’s health issues from last season.
“Nobody wants to see anybody out of the lineup. We want all of our guys healthy and in the lineup,” the coach said.
Chytil is off to an excellent start this season. He’s tied for fifth on the Rangers with four goals, and has nine points in 15 games. He, Cuylle and Kakko have an xGF together at 5v5 of 65.29 percent, per Natural Stat Trick, and outscored opponents 11-0.
Not only has that line likely been the Rangers best so far, but statistically it is one of top lines in the NHL.
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