Things have not gone well at Madison Square Garden, as the New York Rangers continue to stumble at home, this time a 6-5 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks. With the team being 0-4-1 at MSG, top Rangers prospect Brennan Othmann has rejoined the team, the team announced.
It is an interesting time in New York, as the team has been inconsistent in scoring. Before their five-goal barrage against the San Jose Sharks, they netted just one against the Minnesota Wild. The season did not start smoothly, as the Rangers endured a 3-0 shutout at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Garden. So far, the Rangers have averaged just 1.2 goals in five games at the Garden, while also being shut out three times.
The Rangers' top prospect is already in trade rumors, and that could continue if the team continues to struggle. Yet, those rumors could go away if Othmann contributes to the team's turnaround.
The Rangers selected Othmann 16th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. Since then, he has been phenomenal, dominating the Ontario Hockey League and the American Hockey League before making his debut in the 2023-24 NHL season, playing three games. Last season, he played 22 games, netting two assists while averaging 9.58 minutes of ice time.
After the loss to the Sharks, the Rangers need to bounce back, and adding the top prospect to the roster could potentially provide the boost they need. While they have not won at home, they have been better on the road, going 3-0-1. The Rangers are currently 3-4-2 with eight points, sitting in a tie with the New York Islanders for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Othmann will likely take the place of Matt Rempe, who suffered an injury while fighting Sharks enforcer Ryan Reaves in the second period of the loss to San Jose. Although he has primarily played on the fourth line during his brief stints with the Rangers, he could potentially slot into Rempe's spot, sharing the third line with Juuso Parssinen and Noah Laba. The Rangers begin a four-game Pacific Division trip on Saturday when they play the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
