These 2 Rangers forwards in good place to start training camp, GM believes
The start of training camp is a time for NHL teams, coaches, executives and players to be upbeat and positive about what lies ahead in the coming season. And Chris Drury fit right in with that narrative when the New York Rangers general manager spoke with reporters Tuesday, one day before camp begins.
Whether it was Drury discussing his strong relationship with captain Jacob Trouba, whom he tried to trade this past off season, or reflecting on hard lessons learned losing in two of the past three Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers GM had a positive spin for pretty much each topic tossed his way.
That includes how he feels about young forwards Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil. Each is looking to rebound from a difficult season in 2023-24. And the GM is feeling good about the prospect of each to do exactly that heading into training camp.
Drury seemed particularly upbeat about Kakko, who simply never got going last season and likely enters a make-or-break year with the Rangers.
“Another guy that had a terrific offseason and in early testing just looks great,” Drury said. “I think he’s out to prove that last year was a fluke, and he’s ready to have a good year for us.”
Kakko scored 18 goals and had 40 points two seasons ago. He appeared to be on verge of breaking out to be the key contributor the Rangers envisioned when they selected him No. 2 overall in the 2019 draft.
Then he hit a brick wall last season.
It’s no secret that Kakko didn’t have a good season in 2023-24. Sidelined with a lower-body injury at the end of November, Kakko missed 21 games during the middle of the season. In 61 regular-season games, he accumulated a meager 19 points, with 13 goals and six assists.
“He dealt with an injury last year & admittedly he didn’t have the best year,” Drury stated flatly.
Kakko began the season with high expectations and a place on the Rangers top line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. That experiment didn’t pay off — the line struggled to produce offense and lacked chemistry. Kakko was then relegated to the third line, where he saw less ice time and continued to struggle offensively, largely playing with Jonny Brodzinski, Will Cuylle, Jimmy Vesey and Alex Wennberg.
During the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Kakko played 15 games and scored one goal, against the Washington Capitals in Game 4 of the first round He was a healthy scratch for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers.
No bueno.
But the 23-year-old vowed at breakup day in June to be a different player this coming season. He quickly signed a one-year contract extension. Drury resisted the temptation to trade Kakko and now here he is, one of the most important players in camp.
Whether he’s back on the third line to boost their secondary scoring or gets another chance with Zibanejad and Kreider, Kakko must find that next gear in his game.
“He’ll get an opportunity to play his game and take hold of what he wants to take hold of,” coach Peter Laviolette added Wednesday.
Related: 7 Rangers to watch in training camp, including Matt Rempe
Rangers GM says Filip Chytil is ‘full go’ to start training camp
Another Rangers player hoping last season was not the norm is Chytil. The 25-year-old center missed all but 10 games last season because of an upper-body injury believed to be a concussion. And since Chytil is believed to have sustained multiple concussions in his career, it was good news to hear what Drury had to say about him entering camp.
Drury reported that Chytil is a “full go” and has “nothing holding him back.”
A healthy Chytil gives the Rangers a huge advantage over other teams down the middle. Having your top-three centers be Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck and Chytil is pretty darn good. Though Chytil centered for Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere before his injury, he’s likely headed to the third line since Trocheck had an All-Star season after replacing him last year.
If Chytil approaches his 22-goal, 45-point season from 2022-23, the Rangers are set up very nicely in their top nine.
Certainly, we should see a better version of Chytil than when he returned in the second round of the playoffs this past spring. Chytil was scoreless in six games and showed much rust after missing six months of action
A fully healthy Chytil and a motivated Kakko are positive signs that the Rangers have some more solid options to provide offense this season.
While that news is good, Drury did have some minor injury news that wasn’t as positive. Veteran center Riley Nash, who played with Hartford of the American Hockey League last season, sustained a lower-body injury during the offseason and won’t participate in training camp. And Hartford center Ryder Korczak was “dinged up” during a rookie game against the Philadelphia Flyers and will the start of camp.
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