blueshirts' latest crop almost ready for harvest
There is a lot of discovery to be done by the Rangers in the coming months and years, but some of the most interesting subjects will be seen sooner rather than later.
Both of the Blueshirts’ firstround picks from the most recent draft, centers Lias Andersson (No. 7 overall) and Filip Chytil (No. 21), are more than likely to be coming up and joining the club at some point before the regular season ends on April 7. Yet the front office remains steadfast in its belief not to burn the first year of their entry-level contracts, so neither will broach the nine-game maximum that would do just that.
That means the 18-year-old Chytil has seven games remaining after making the Rangers out of training camp and getting into two NHL contests before being sent down, while the 19-year-old Andersson can get the full nine after he started the season in his native Sweden before joining AHL Hartford following the World Juniors tournament in early January. That would put a likely arrival date of sometime after the trip to St. Louis on March 17.
“At some point, as things progress here into mid-March, we’ll see where the team’s at, we’ll see what’s best for the team and what’s best for the two specific kids,” assistant general manager Chris Drury told The Post over the phone Monday. “But I imagine at some point we’ll see them up here.”
These games-played restrictions are only for the Rangers to be fiscally responsible, but Drury was not upset with the fact these two specific players are not in the NHL right now.
“I think every player and every case is different. In this case, I think they’re right where they should be, still playing [with] big responsibilities and what now is an attempt to make a push to get in the playoffs down there,” said Drury, whose title also includes being general manager of the Wolf Pack. “I know just socially, they’re learning more and more about living and playing in North America, not just on ice, but off ice. And I think the camaraderie part of it is important, too — having a bond playing down there in the minors, getting on the bus together, playing three [games] in three [nights]. There are a lot of positives in this entire experience.”
Chytil has 10 goals and 28 points in 39 games with the Wolf Pack, and he’s first in the league in points per game (0.72) for players under 20 years old. His offensive instincts are undeniable, but the organization is trying to get him to be a more wellrounded player.
“I think like any young player, he’s still learning, especially at center, to play a solid 200-foot game,” Drury said. “The offensive instincts and his raw talent and ability is obviously very exciting to us, and now it’s just a matter of making sure he understands how to play in his own zone.”
Andersson has f ive goals and 12 points in his first 18 games, including 10 points in the past 13 games. He stayed in New York after injuring his shoulder while captaining Team Sweden, and after he was healthy, both he and the team thought Hartford was where his development was best served. Andersson also has started killing penalties, and the unending competitiveness — remember him throwing his silver medal into the stands at the World Juniors? — has made him a standout.
“With his character and his work ethic and how competitive he is, it’s hard not to notice him every single game,” Drury said. “He’s very goalorientated and he wants to be a Ranger as fast as he can for as long as he can.”
Since management declared its rebuild with what is now an unforgettable letter to the fans on Feb. 8, the Rangers have added a lot of young talent and draft picks. And despite the jettisoning of so many core veterans, they still managed a threegame sweep of western Canada as they prepared for Tuesday night’s Garden match against the Jets.
With a roster of so many new faces, soon there will be some names that at least have been familiar since June. And then the Rangers can begin another round of evaluations in what has been such a monumental change for the organization.
“It’s been exciting,” Drury said. “As far as the development side with Hartford, and working with Jed Ortmeyer, who is our director of player development, it’s exciting to get a lot of these new pieces and guys that we’re going to do everything we can to help get them to Broadway.”
➤ The Rangers signed 20-year-old forward Ty Ronning to an entrylevel contract on Monday. Ronning, the team’s seventh-round pick (No. 201 overall), was having a terrific season for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, putting up 55 goals and 77 points in 64 games. Last year, the 5foot-9, 172-pound Ronning skated in 12 games with AHL Hartford, amassing two goals and five points.