Going into this season for the New York Rangers, a lot of attention is being put on both Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko.
Since being drafted at #1 overall in 2020 and #2 overall in 2019, respectively, both the franchise and their fans have been waiting for them to bust out and play to their potential. While both players have certainly shown improvement since joining the league, they both need to step up their games in a big way this season, as both new head coach Peter Laviolette and team general manager Chris Drury expect them to do so.
One player that is flying under the radar is Filip Chytil, their linemate over the course of the past two seasons. Chytil, 24, is entering his sixth full season in the NHL and is coming off a strong 2022-23 season.
Last year, Chytil had 45 points on 22 goals and 23 assists in 74 games. He added another four points in the Stanley Cup playoffs with one goal and three assists in a first-round loss to the New Jersey Devils in seven games.
I think Chytil is going to make another jump this season, especially in terms of putting the puck in the net. For starters, he is not afraid to shoot the puck.
He scored 22 goals on 177 shots last season for a 12.4 shooting percentage. Chytil has a good shot that is quick, deceptive, and one that usually creates rebounds if it does not find the back of the net.
Secondly, Chytil’s confidence has grown in leaps and bounds. He is not afraid to make plays with the puck, knows how to battle for pucks along the boards, drives hard to the net with the puck, and is really good on the forecheck.
Those things were apparent in the team’s opening 3-0 preseason loss to the Boston Bruins on Sunday evening, September 24. Chytil was all over the ice and did a good job of generating several scoring opportunities.
Lastly, Chytil now understands what he needs to do to succeed in this league. He has been around long enough to know what works and does not work in terms of being a productive player.
Taking that into account, this upcoming season should end up being better than last year for Chytil. It will be another year under his belt, an opportunity to succeed under a new head coach, as well as a chance to build off the success he has had so far in his young career.
It will be interesting to see what kind of season Chytil ends up having, but I believe that he is going to have a big year for this hockey club.
