Rangers wisely assign Brennan Othmann to Wolf Pack
The New York Rangers wisely assigned highly touted prospect Brennan Othmann to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
For the record, if the Rangers weren’t a loaded Stanley Cup contender, Othmann would have made the team. In the preseason, he registered 2 goals on 6 shots in 5 contests. Considering how the team struggled at times defensively, his +4 rating was impressive.
Beyond the numbers, Othmann looked physically ready to play in the NHL and showed a great level of maturity for a 20 year-old.
“He’s an excellent player,” Director of Player Personnel John Lilley said. “He’s feisty and plays a good two-way game.”
Related: Rangers must make right decision with Brennan Othmann
Rangers assign Brennan Othmann to Wolf Pack
Although Othmann looked very good for a rookie in training camp, there simply was no spot for him on the top-six, which is where he’s projected to play in the NHL. In the final two preseason games, Othmann was used primarily in a fourth line role, which is not where the Rangers want him developing.
Regardless, Othmann has the right attitude to be successful sooner rather than later.
“What I’ve always wanted was the status of being a professional hockey player,” Othmann said. “I’ll miss juniors and my team in Peterborough. The relationships I built there will last forever, but it’s now about being a pro hockey player. That’s what I’m most excited for whether it’s in the NHL or American League.”
The Hartford Wolf Pack have their training camp well underway, with one more preseason game set for Saturday, October 7th at 1 p.m. ET against the Bridgeport Islanders. It’s expected that Othmann will immediately be placed on the top line and first power play unit.
He’s a player the Pack are excited to have, especially after his spectacular career in juniors. Last season, he scored 29 goals and 38 assists for 67 points in 56 matches split between the Flint Firebirds and the Peterborough Petes. Othmann then took his game to another level in the playoffs, leading Peterborough to an OHL title with 8 goals and 17 assists for 25 points in 23 playoff games. Unfortunately, the Petes fell short of winning the Memorial Cup but Othmann finished his junior career in style, including back-to-back World Junior Championship Gold Medals with Canada.
Othmann has three years left on his ELC with an AAV of $863,333 per PuckPedia, and could see time with the Rangers this season as a call up.
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