New York Rangers injury update: Filip Chytil’s cryptic comments overshadow promising return
Filip Chytil’s return to game action Saturday, just two weeks after taking a scary hit to the head in a collision with teammate K’Andre Miller, should have been a massive sigh of relief for the New York Rangers.
But while the 25-year-old center seemed to smoothly assimilate himself back into the lineup in a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens, his comments postgame leave more questions than answers regarding his seven-game injury stint.
“It was not an easy time,” Chytil commented after being asked about his Nov. 14 injury in a game against the San Jose Sharks. “Maybe when we have a time in the future, we can sit and talk about it — what’s going on, what was going on the season before, or now in the two weeks — but now is not the time to talk about it.”
Per reports, Chytil did not suffer a concussion after being examined by specialists following his collision with Miller.
However, the Rangers did not provide much clarity regarding Chytil’s issue other than to classify it as an “upper-body injury.” And his postgame comments Saturday only served to further the mystery surrounding his most recent absence.
“I know myself, I know my head a lot. Nobody knows it more than me,” Chytil said. “When I felt it could be better and it was going well, it was nice, but the most important is you’ve got to feel 100 percent with everything — that’s why I played today.”
Asked if he was relieved that his injury wasn’t head-related, Chytil simply added that he knows his body, including his head.
Chytil has suffered numerous concussions in his eight NHL seasons, and just last season he missed the final 72 games as well as the entire first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after taking what appeared to be a shot to the head in November.
So though Chytil wouldn’t delve into specifics regarding the injury that held him out for seven straight games, the ambiguity surrounding the entire situation should raise alarm bells about yet another head injury.
Related: 3 Rangers takeaways after snapping 5-game slide by defeating Canadiens 4-3
Filip Chytil’s health is giant X-factor for Rangers
The irony is that Chytil’s on-ice performance was very solid in his return Saturday, serving a productive role as he helped the Blueshirts snap a five-game losing skid.
His speed and ability to break out on the rush offensively were on display as he centered for Will Cuylle and Artemi Panarin, a trio that led all Rangers forward pairings with 0.53 xGF per Natural Stat Trick.
Fittingly enough, speed and explosiveness were two things the Rangers lacked during their losing streak.
“I think he’s definitely one of the guys that can attack the game with that pace in the neutral zone,” coach Peter Laviolette stated. “You notice him all the time as he cuts out of our end and through the neutral zone. He’s got a ton of speed behind him — that pushes us faster as well.”
Perhaps most notable was Laviolette’s usage of Chytil; the coach immediately thrust him back into a prominent role in the lineup.
Chytil led all Rangers’ centers in even-strength TOI, surpassing both Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad. Meanwhile, his total ice time of 16:22 was his second-highest this season.
He also was on the second power-play unit — and chased down an attempted clear by the Canadiens shortly before Kaapo Kakko scored the game-winning goal with 24 seconds to play. Chytil didn’t get an assist on the goal, but he was a difference maker.
“It’s not easy when you’re feeling good out there, and then you miss two weeks and you have to jump back,” Chytil explained. “But every shift I was feeling better. Now I just need to keep going like that. I want to be healthy for the rest of the season.”
The Rangers would certainly like that as well.
Chytil has the potential to make the Blueshirts one of the deepest offenses in the league, and he’s a nice safety blanket down the middle, given some of the early-season struggles from Trocheck and Zibanejad. He has nine points (four goals, five assists) in 16 games, and the Rangers have outscored opponents 12-3 at 5v5 when he’s on the ice.
Unfortunately, his injury history makes it difficult to trust that he will stay healthy consistently. And the Rangers don’t have the center depth to endure lengthy absences from one of their most dynamic playmakers.
Sam Carrick and Jonny Brodzinski have both been excellent fits on the fourth line, but neither can replicate what Chytil brings to the table. Kakko was given a shot down the middle in Chytil’s absence despite his limited experience at the position, but there’s simply a different flow to the game when the 6-foot-2 Czech center is playing.
“There’s definitely a difference — you get three big centermen down the middle, it certainly adds a layer to the depth of our team,” Laviolette noted postgame. “It adds to the power play, it adds to how we play the game offensively. To get him back, I thought was big.”
Is it a coincidence that the Rangers were 2-5-0 in their seven games without Chytil and immediately found themselves back in the win column upon his return? Possibly. But there’s no denying he makes the Blueshirts a far more dangerous team when he’s on the ice.
The big question is whether he can stay on the ice.
His remarks Saturday don’t exactly inspire confidence that Chytil is fully out of the woods with his health issues — and the Rangers can’t afford to lose him again.
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