Rangers injury update: Filip Chytil leaves win against Sharks after scary collision with teammate
The New York Rangers picked up an important win Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, 3-2 over the San Jose Sharks. But there was significant concern for Filip Chytil, after the Rangers center left the game with an upper-body injury following a second-period collision with teammate K’Andre Miller.
Chytill who has a history of head injuries, including from last season when he was limited to 10 regular-season games after sustaining an upper-body injury in November, appeared wobbly after Miller’s elbow accidentally caught him on the side of the helmet or possibly the jaw. He got up from the ice and skated to the bench at 12:26 of the second period and then headed to the dressing room for medical attention.
The 25-year-old returned to play later in the second and took one shift that lasted 61 seconds. That shift ended at 17:22, and he didn’t play again. Chytil was ruled out for the third period with an upper-body injury.
“Day to day. Getting evaluated right now,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said postgame about Chytil.
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Filip Chytil off to excellent start with Rangers after injury issues last season
Chytil is off to an excellent start this season, after missing nearly all of 2023-24 with what’s believed to be a frightening head injury. He has nine points (four goals, five assists) and is plus-11 in 15 games, and centered New York’s most consistent two-way line with Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko.
That line has outscored opponents 11-0 at 5v5 this season. They entered the game Thursday with an excellent xGF of 65.29 percent, per Natural Stat Trick, which is in the top-10 of the entire League.
A healthy Chytil also makes the Rangers extremely powerful down the middle in their top nine, with Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck. Few teams match up favorably with those three.
Should Chytil be sidelined, Jonny Brodzinski is likely next man up to play center. The 31-year-old was scratched for the fifth straight game Thursday, and for the sixth time in the past seven games. He has one goal and one assist in seven games played.
Last season, Brodzinski appeared in an NHL career-high 57 games, largely filling in for Chytil, before Alex Wennberg was acquired before the trade deadline to play center. Wennberg signed with the Sharks in the offseason.
The Rangers are off Friday, so the next update on Chytil may not come until Saturday. New York opens a four-game road trip Sunday at the Seattle Kraken.
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