What’s next for Rangers after top 2 prospects called up from minors
The day after suffering their seventh shutout loss of the season, the New York Rangers recalled Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann from Hartford of the American Hockey League in hopes that their top two forward prospects can pump some life into an anemic offense.
Each is a past first-round pick by the Rangers and is known for his offensive skill set. Perreault, selected in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft, leads Hartford with 10 goals and 17 points in 20 games. The 20-year-old also picked up his first NHL point, an assist, during a three-game call-up in mid-November.
Othmann, a 2021 first-round pick, has 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 19 games with Hartford this season; he was pointless in one game with the Rangers back on Oct. 26. The 22-year-old scored 21 goals with Hartford as a rookie pro in 2023-24 but has yet to score a goal in 26 NHL games over parts of three seasons.
However, Othmann’s playing his best hockey of the season right now. He scored three goals in his past four AHL games and has five points (four goals, one assist) in his past seven contests with Hartford. This comes after a slow start led to a slew of Othmann trade rumors.
Perreault was AHL Player of the Week for the week ending Nov. 2 and largely played well in his first pro season, after two outstanding seasons at Boston College. However, his production dried up recently — Perreault was pointless and minus-7 in his past four games with Hartford.
To make room on the active roster, the Rangers assigned forwards Brett Berard and Jaroslav Chmelar to Hartford. Berard was without a point in 11 games, mainly playing on the third line, where he averaged 10:59 TOI. Chmelar averaged 7:51 TOI in six games on the fourth line. He didn’t record a point and totaled seven penalty minutes.
What’s next for Rangers after calling up Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othmann
Photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack
Why Rangers called up two rookies at same time
The Rangers are 30th out of 32 NHL teams in scoring, averaging 2.51 goals per game. They’ve been shut out in 20 percent of their games (seven times in 35 games) and held to one goal or fewer 13 times, after a 3-0 loss to the last-overall Vancouver Canucks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
New York’s power play is a mess, especially without injured defenseman Adam Fox available to run point the past seven games. The Rangers are 20th in the NHL on the power play, converting at 18.3 percent.
The Rangers need a pretty drastic change to shake them out of their doldrums. Thus, even though coach Mike Sullivan has reservations about each youngster plays defensively, their offensive upside is too appealing right now.
Perhaps NHL Network’s E.J. Hradek explained it best when he discussed Perreault on the RINK RAP podcast last week.
“It’s interesting to see what’s going on with Gabe Perreault, because he’s playing real well in the American [Hockey] League,” Hradek told Forever Blueshirts. “I am someone who believes in letting guys ripen at the lesser levels, and so that’s probably a good thing that he’s getting that experience there. But that said, they need help at the NHL level, which is a problem. Maybe that injection of, as they say, that youthful enthusiasm and youthful talent to your mix up front would give them a little bit of a jump.”
Where Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othman fit in Rangers lineup
To paraphrase Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider, it’s time for Perreault and Othmann to put their big boy pants on. Or maybe a better way to phrase it is that Sullivan must let the rookies put their big boy pants on.
His concern about their readiness on the defensive side of the puck is valid. But unless one or both is so in over his head defensively, the coach must let the kids play and do what they do best. That starts with putting each in a position to do so, improving the chance for success.
Start with Perreault. Put him in the top-six forward group. He’s uber creative, thinks the offensive game at a high level and has the skills to make plays with the best players on the roster. Playing him with J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck is appealing, as is having him riding shotgun with Mika Zibanejad in some iteration. Or maybe with Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere? Or have him queue up Artemi Panarin?
Also, get the kid some power-play time. The idea of Perreault out there with more open ice is exciting.
As for Othmann, his confidence should be at its highest level this season right now. So, tap into that. No fourth-line duty please. A third line of Othmann, Noah Laba, and Will Cuylle? That’s intriguing, since each plays a North-South style and is physical. A top-six role for Othmann? There’s absolutely a case for that — just not at the expense of Perreault getting that shot.
Would the Rangers move Lafreniere into a third-line role to get Othmann and Perreault into the top six? Unlikely. Lafreniere continues to drive play and his analytics are always good, but he’s got one goal in nine games and seven all season. So, there’s an argument to be made here. But it just feels like Sullivan’s not going to do anything that drastic with Lafreniere or his top-six group.
Odd men out
The obvious odd men out are Berard and Chmelar. Berard did bring energy to the lineup, playing 11 straight games after his recall before he was a he was a healthy scratch against the Canucks. But unlike last season, when he scored six goals and totaled 10 points in 35 games on Broadway, Berard barely sniffed the score sheet this time around. With Perreault and Othmann in New York, Berard should get quality top-line minutes on the wing in Hartford, which certainly can’t hurt.
Chmelar didn’t look out of place in a limited fourth-line role with the Rangers. But there’s no room for the rugged 22-year-old with Matt Rempe back in the lineup and Taylor Raddysh available to play on the fourth line.
Conor Sheary works hard and plays a committed 200-foot game. But he simply can’t score. He’s got one goal in 32 games and logged far too many minutes in the top six. The 33-year-old two-time Stanley Cup winner is a bottom-six forward at this stage of his career — and likely ends up a healthy scratch Thursday, when the Rangers visit the St. Louis Blues.
Jonny Brodzinski remains an extra forward, trusted to play up and down the lineup as needed. Assuming no one gets hurt, and Perreault and Othmann play well enough to remain in the lineup, Brodzinski remains in the press box for the foreseeable future.
