Young Rangers Who Made Strides in 2018-19

The New York Rangers community made phenomenal progress this season in terms of the rebuild process. While there were plenty of struggles with this rebuilding team during the season, there were several bright spots from the young talent that should keep fans’ interest heading into the offseason and into 2019-20.

Guys like Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider definitely were leaders of the team, but the success of this rebuild is nothing without taking young talent and turning them into the best pros possible. While not every player the Rangers acquired during this process could be great all the time, if they even turn out to succeed and fit the mold, there were several young guns who benefited this season’s team.

For the following three players, this season was a one of progress, going from concern and impatience to production and growth. They were prime examples of the “peaks and valleys” for young guys in the game that head coach David Quinn has often talked about during the season.

This isn’t to say others have not, but these three are pretty notable examples, and fans should keep an eye out on these guys in the future.

Filip Chytil

Who remembers when Filip Chytil was one of the targets of people’s frustrations at the start of 2018-19? After spending most of 2017-18 with the Hartford Wolf Pack, there were plenty of big expectations for the 19-year-old drafted 21st overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Chytil struggled to contribute and find his place early on, much to the disappointment of fans. There were calls for Chytil to be moved back down to Hartford, which also would have extended his rookie contract another season. But Quinn and Rangers brass were determined to make things work and kept their faith.

Then, Chytil broke through during a Nov. 12 showdown with the Vancouver Canucks. This started a historic five-game goal streak, as Chytil became the first teen in team history — 20th in NHL history and seventh since 2005-06 — to score a goal in at least five straight games.

The Czech forward ultimately ended the season with 23 points — 11 goals and 12 assists. While those numbers don’t scream success, that’s as well as Tyler Seguin, Ryan Johansen, Ryan O’Reilly and Sean Couturier did in their first full NHL seasons at his age.

Chytil showed promise while bouncing around between center and wing when Quinn tried to mix around the lineups. And while he didn’t add a large sum of points following the trade deadline, Chytil handled himself well in the extra ice time and showed the capability of playing top minutes.

This past season showed just how important this development time is for this young Rangers team. The three men mentioned here, along with others, have shown at least flashes of what they can accomplish. While it’s not the perfect time for winning big — there’s still more rebuild ahead — it’s an exciting time to see how these athletes grow.