The New York Rangers trimmed their roster down ahead of the 2023-24 season. Winger Will Cuylle put together a very impressive preseason and earned a roster spot, while important prospects Brennan Othmann and Dylan Garand will start the season with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL). If all goes according to plan, they can continue to develop there, but it is also possible that one or both can contribute in the NHL this season.
Brennan Othmann
In 2021, the Rangers drafted Othmann in the first round, 16th overall, after the winger spent the 2019-20 season with the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL.) The OHL canceled its 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Canadian winger ended up playing for EHC Olten of the Swiss League. He finished with seven goals and nine assists in 34 games while gaining valuable experience playing professionally.
Othmann returned to the OHL for the 2021-22 season, finishing with 50 goals and 47 assists in 66 games for the Firebirds. He also had nine goals and 15 assists in 19 playoff games. Though he was not a great skater, he played with an edge, got to the front of the net, and capitalized on his opportunities.
Last season, Othmann did not produce as much but still finished with 29 goals and 38 assists in 56 games combined with the Firebirds and Peterborough Petes. He also had eight goals and 17 assists in 23 playoff games.
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Othmann is listed as 6 feet tall and 181 pounds, but he said he worked on getting stronger this offseason, and it showed in the preseason. He did not look overmatched physically and scored a couple of goals, including one on a quick wrist shot.
The Rangers have a lot of talented forwards and some top picks who are already on the team, which meant Othmann had almost no shot at cracking the top-six despite his strong preseason performance. It makes sense for him to start the season in the AHL, but if some of the team’s key forwards end up missing time, the young winger could get a shot in the NHL. His quick release and heavy shot could certainly end up helping the team.
Dylan Garand
The Rangers drafted Garand in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft following his impressive 2019-20 season with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL.) The 6-foot-1 goalie was 28-10-3 with a .921 save percentage (SV%.) He followed that up with a 15-3-0 record and a .921 SV% in 2020-21 and a 34-9-1 record and a .925 SV% in 2021-22.
Garand is not a very big goalie, and like Rangers stars Henrik Lundqvist and Igor Shesterkin, he relies on his quickness, positioning, and instincts. He also works with goaltending coach Benoit Allaire, who helped develop Lundqvist, Shesterkin, and Alexandar Georgiev.
Last season, Garand made the jump to the AHL, finishing with a 13-14-3 record and an .894 SV% with the Wolf Pack. He also won five of his eight playoff games and had a .935 SV% and two shutouts. His regular season numbers were a bit skewed as he gave up seven goals in two games.
The Rangers are entering this season with Jonathan Quick serving as Shesterkin’s backup, but the veteran struggled last season and this preseason. If those struggles continue, the team could turn to Garand as their backup.
For Othmann and Garand Moving Forward
If all goes smoothly, Othmann and Garand can continue their development in the AHL. However, injuries or disappointing play from Quick could lead to an opportunity for them with the Rangers early in the season. While they did not make the opening night roster, both are key prospects, and both could end up contributing in the NHL this season.
