Most-hyped rookie in Metro doesn’t play for Rangers, despite bright Brennan Othmann future
The Metropolitan Division is arguably the most competitive in the NHL. With an influx of young talent arriving in recent years, the New York Rangers are among a group of formidable teams in the division heading into the 2024-25 season.
An influx of young talent helps the Metro stand out in the NHL.
In recent seasons, standouts like Alexis Lafreniere, Noah Dobson, Seth Jarvis, Adam Fantilli and the Hughes brothers — Jack and Luke — have made their mark for their Metro team at the NHL level, and each is under the age of 24 this season.
There’s more young talent pushing its way into the division this season.
Though there may not be room on the Rangers roster for him to start the season, 2021 first-round pick Brennan Othmann is knocking on the door at training camp. The 21-year-old forward scored 21 goals last season with Hartford of the American Hockey League and played three games with the Rangers in January.
Coach Peter Laviolette promised that there’s a chance for a player like Othmann to make a case for himself this month at camp. But it appears more likely he’ll start the season in the AHL again, barring an injury or two on the Rangers roster.
The one younger Blueshirt to keep an eye on is Zac Jones. The 23-year-old defenseman is not a rookie nor projected to be a star, but after three seasons as an apprentice, he’s ready for his first regular gig with the Rangers, replacing Erik Gustafsson on the third defense pair this season.
But the most-hyped rookie in the Metropolitan Division doesn’t play for the Rangers.
Related: Rangers’ Alexis Lafreniere ‘wouldn’t mind’ more power-play time this season
Rangers’ Brennan Othmann isn’t top rookie in Metro Division
Enter Matvei Michkov. All eyes are on the Philadelphia Flyers forward, who’s projected to be a Calder Trophy contender as the NHL’s top rookie this season.
The Flyers took Michkov with the No. 7 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. He could easily have ended gone higher if teams ahead of Philly weren’t focused on different needs or turned off by his contract status. The common belief — both before and after the draft — was that it would take three years for Michkov to arrive in North America after he completed his KHL contract in Russia.
So even though the dynamic Michkov smashed records for his U-16 team, he slipped to seventh overall. The Flyers decided to play the long game for this potential star; they were rewarded when Michkov got out of his contract after one season and came to North America this summer.
The 19-year-old is the talk of Flyers camp. The Rangers already got a taste of what the kid can bring when he scored against them in a rookie game last Friday.
“What I’ve been really impressed with is how hard he plays in traffic. He’s a little shorter, but he’s stocky, he’s strong,” Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said Tuesday.
The uber-skilled right wing has a slippery nature, quick and accurate release, and magnetic possession of the puck. He and 2024 first-rounder Jett Luchanko dominated rookie camp. Now let’s see what Michkov can do for coach John Tortorella in the preseason.
As for Michkov’s Michigan goal attempts, we will see how that meshes with Tortorella, who’s notorious for getting the best out of his teams when they buy into his old-school system.
Rising young stars to keep eye on in Metropolitan Division
Outside of the Rangers and Flyers, here’s one player from each Metropolitan Division team to keep an eye on this preseason.
Carolina Hurricanes: Bradley Nadeau
The University of Maine product could be a steal for the Hurricanes. He is projected to not only make the final cut out of camp but do so in a top-six or middle-six role at age 19.
The 30th player taken in 2023 lit up Hockey East with 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in 37 games last season before signing with the Hurricanes and making his NHL debut.
The opportunity is there for him after several key forwards — including Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Stefan Noesen — departed Carolina during the offseason.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Gavin Brindley
Brindley in many ways was overshadowed by Fantilli at Michigan in 2022-23, but he continues to boast first-round draft stock despite being a second-round selection (No. 34).
The 19-year-old scored 25 goals and totaled 53 points in 40 games with Michigan last season. He also scored six goals in seven games for the gold medal-winning U.S. squad at the 2024 World Junior Championship. Brindley capped his season by making his NHL debut on April 16 against the Hurricanes.
Brindley is a high-motor player with silky hands that complement his hard-nosed game and ability to anticipate and support plays as they develop.
Early reports suggest playing for Cleveland in the AHL may be most beneficial for his development. But there are open spots for a skilled player on that Blue Jackets roster, with the trade of Patrik Laine and the tragic death of Johnny Gaudreau.
New Jersey Devils: Simon Nemec
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft sustained an upper-body injury in an Olympic qualifying game for Slovakia before training camp started. But the Devils were able to exhale when Nemec arrived at camp ready to practice and play.
The 20-year-old defenseman played 60 games as a rookie last season and acquitted himself well. He had 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) and finished fifth on the Devils averaging 19:52 in ice time per game.
Nemec was pressed into heavy duty last season following a string of injuries, most notably to first-pair defenseman Dougie Hamilton. He’ll be more sheltered this season following the acquisitions of veterans Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon, plus the return to health by Hamilton.
New York Islanders: Samuel Bolduc
The Islanders desperately want Bolduc to earn a regular spot on their defense corps this season. They had high hopes for him when they selected Bolduc in the second round (No. 57) in the 2019 draft, but the results so far have been so-so.
He’s played 51 NHL games across two seasons, and parts of four in the AHL. Injuries allowed him an NHL shot last season, and he had five points (two goals, three assists) in 34 games while averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time.
Heading into camp, it appears Bolduc will need to beat out veteran Mike Reilly for a spot on the third defense pair.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Rutger McGroarty
Acquired in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets this past summer, McGroarty is a key player to watch at Penguins training camp. Though not nearly as skilled as Michkov, McGroarty will receive nearly as much attention because of his well-publicized trade request from Winnipeg.
But make no mistake, the 20-year-old power forward can play.
McGroarty can punish opponents physically and also outwit them with his high hockey IQ. What could be the deal-breaker for an NHL spot is his skating ability. But the Penguins desperately need to infuse their lineup with young talent, and McGroarty fits the bill. He starred for two seasons at University of Michigan and helped the United States win the gold medal at the 2024 WJC, when he scored five goals in seven games.
Washington Capitals: Ivan Miroshnichenko
Selected with the No. 20 pick in the 2022 draft, Miroshnichenko has a chance to make the Capitals roster out of camp. Hendrix Lapierre, Aleksei Protas and Connor McMichael have earned regular roles with the Capitals recently, and the next prospect who could make the team out of camp and see NHL time this season should be the 20-year-old right wing.
The Caps did make significant upgrades to their roster on July 1, adding Andrew Mangiapane and Taylor Raddysh to improve their depth on right wing. Miroshnichenko could a third-line or fourth-line role — and if management doesn’t see those roles as a fit, he may appear later in the season for the Capitals barring injuries.
Miroshnichenko had six points (two goals, four assists) in 21 games with the Capitals last season and 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 47 games with Hershey of the AHL.
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