Rangers top prospect Brennan Othmann excited after locker room trade to Petes
Brennan Othmann is the top prospect in the New York Rangers organization and last night was part of a locker room trade in the OHL.
The Flint Firebirds announced right after their contest with the Peterborough Petes on Saturday that they traded Othmann across the hall for defenseman Artem Guryev, a 2024 second-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick.
Sportnet’s Jeff Marek indicated a deal was in the works as the two teams were playing. Flint’s general manager and head coach Ted Dent commented on the deal after the Petes edged his squad 3-2 in a shootout.
“We’d like to thank Brennan for everything he did for us here in the Flint Firebirds organization,” Dent said in a statement. “He was a cornerstone piece of this franchise since being selected as the 2nd overall pick back in 2019 and his accomplishments here were record-breaking. We wish him nothing but the best the rest of the way in his hockey career.”
It should also be noted that this will be Othmann’s last season in the OHL as he will likely compete to make the New York Rangers next season, and eligible to play in the AHL.
According to USA Today’s Vince Mercogliano, Othmann wanted a change of scenery and the Firebirds were in accord with the request.
Update: Brennan Othamann requested the trade and provided full details here.
Brennan Othmann excited for trade
Othmann, 19, was selected by the Blueshirts in the first-round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. His family is from Scarborough, Ontario which is just a two hour drive to Peterborough. The move will certainly make it easier to spend more time at home.
Heading into Saturday’s Petes and Firebirds matchup, Othmann was completing a two-game suspension for firing the puck into the opposition’s bench on November 6. He will be in action today for Peterborough when they take on the Saginaw Spirit at 5:30 PM.
“I’m honored and thrilled to be a part of a classy and history filled organization like the Petes,” Othmann said. “I can’t wait to get started tomorrow against Saginaw.”
The scoring forward scored 50 goals and 97 points for the Firebirds in 2021-22. This season, Othmann is off to a great with 11 goals and 24 points in 16 games on 83 shots. He also has 31 penalty minutes and a +4 rating as he’s displaying a mean streak that would make Matthew Tkachuk proud.
“Tkachuk is not afraid to mix it up, hits hard, and he can play any role,” Othmann told Forever Blueshirts in an exclusive interview this summer. “(Kyle) Connor has an unbelievable shot and hockey IQ. That’s how I like to play. Tkachuk’s grittiness and Connor’s skill.”
Othmann was named the winner of the Lars-Erik Sjoberg Award as the top rookie in camp before the team was forced to send him back to juniors due to a CHL rule that doesn’t allow for players under 20 to play in the AHL. That took any flexibility away from the Rangers to keep him around.
In his first exhibition game, he took a big hit on his second shift from Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov that left him with a bloody nose. Instead of wilting or backing off, Othmann became more engaged and finished with two assists and earning first star honors.
“I felt pretty good, but you still get nervous and a little starstruck,” Othmann said after the game. “I spoke to [Schneider] and he told me you can’t really think about it, you just have to just play and the older guys like Kreider helped me with that.”
Othmann signed his entry-level contract with the Rangers on August 12, 2021 and should be a legit candidate to make the team next season.
At this time the Rangers have not commented on the trade as of yet.
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