The Rangers announced yesterday that they had called up forward Filip Chyil and defenseman Ryan Lindgren from the Hartford Wolfpack (AHL).
Chytil scored 11 goals and registered 12 assists in 75 games for the Rangers last season for a total of 23 points. Many considered Chytil to be a lock on the Rangers’ roster this season, but he disappointed in training camp and was sent down to the AHL. When explaining his rationale in sending Chytil down the AHL, coach David Quinn said: “he’s [Chytil] better-served playing in Hartford right now, playing on the top line, playing big minutes, playing on the power play, [and] playing in the middle.” Nine games into the Wolfpack’s season, David Quinn seems to have been right. The Wolfpack are 8-0-0-1, largely due to the play of Chytil. In those nine games, Chytil has scored 3 goals and has added 6 assists for a total of 9 points. Additionally, Chytil is a +9 and has 34 shots on net. Chytil is generating offense, and for a team primarily reliant on their first line for offense, Chytil will hopefully provide some much needed secondary scoring.
It is worth noting that Chytil’s call-up was prompted by Mika Zibanejad’s injury. Center Mika Zibanejad is day to day with an upper-body injury sustained in the Rangers’ 7-4 loss to the Boston Bruins Sunday. However, Chytil will likely stay with the team even when Zibanejad returns to play as every NHL team is allowed to have a maximum of 23 players on their roster at all times. Prior to Chytil and Lindgren’s call-ups, the Rangers had 21 men on their roster.
As for Lindgren, following the Rangers’ loss to the Bruins Sunday, coach Quinn said that “Skill certainly is a huge component of this game, but if you have no battle in you, I don’t care how skilled you are, you’re not going to be productive.” Lindgren will provide a physical presence on the blue line. Lindgren is a more defensive-minded defenseman, one who wins puck battles along the boards and clears opposing players in front of his net. Through nine games with the Wolfpack this season, Lindgren has scored 1 goal and registered 1 assist. In addition, he is a +8.
There is no urgent need for another defenseman to be called up. All of the Rangers’ current defensemen are healthy, but with the team struggling, Ryan Lindgren can hopefully provide a spark to the lineup.
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