Filip Chytil and the New York Rangers received encouraging news on Tuesday regarding his upper-body injury. According to reports, Chytil consulted a specialist in New York and avoided a concussion, which was the initial concern.
The 25-year-old is considered day-to-day and will rejoin the team in Calgary during their current four-game road trip. The Rangers face the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night before traveling to Calgary for a matchup against the Flames on Thursday.
It remains uncertain whether Chytil will play against the Flames, but his return to the team and clearance of concussion concerns are significant positives for both him and the Rangers.
“Our doctors do a really good job of protecting the players and ensuring that when they come back, they’re healthy. When that happens, that’s when Fil will be available,” head coach Peter Laviolette said on Tuesday.
Chytil sustained the injury last Thursday during a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. The incident occurred in the second period after a collision with teammate K’Andre Miller. Chytil played one more shift before being ruled out for the remainder of the game.
During the Rangers’ practice on Saturday, Filip Chytil was absent from the ice, and he did not travel with the team to Seattle, where they began their road trip with a 2-0 victory over the Kraken on Sunday.
In Chytil’s absence, Jonny Brodzinski stepped in to center the third line, flanked by wingers Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko. The line contributed to Zac Jones’ goal early in the third period, with Cuylle and Kakko both earning assists. However, the trio struggled overall, finishing with an expected goals-for percentage (xGF) of just 34.20%, according to *Natural Stat Trick*.
Brodzinski will remain in the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Canucks. Jake Leschyshyn, who was called up from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack before the trip, will serve as the extra forward on the roster.
Filip Chytil will rejoin Rangers on road trip
Filip Chytil’s recent injury was particularly concerning given his history with head injuries. Last season, he missed all but 10 regular-season games and six playoff games due to an upper-body injury, which was believed to be a concussion. Chytil has dealt with head injuries throughout his career, making the past few days a major scare for both him and the Rangers.
It is expected that Chytil will rejoin the team in Calgary, possibly to participate in practice and potentially play before the road trip wraps up in Edmonton against the Oilers on Saturday. It wouldn’t make sense for the Rangers to fly him out west if he wasn’t preparing to return to the ice.
However, head coach Peter Laviolette kept the situation unclear on Tuesday, stating, “He’s coming back to join us, and then we’ll make those decisions.”
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