New York Rangers: Filip Chytil is starting to deliver all the things we hoped for

The New York Rangers’ 19-year-old sensation Filip Chytil is just beginning to show flashes of brilliance. The question is can the young protege sustain his output on broadway?

Among the influx of new characters the New York Rangers have introduced in their rebuild foundation, 19-year-old Czechoslovakian, Filip Chytil has been front and center among all.

Since Chytil was drafted to New York 21st overall in 2017, the expectations have been high and the organization has placed a lot of promise on him to deliver what they eventually want him to be.

Of course, not all high-end draft picks can always be a Connor McDavid and tear up the NHL right from the get-go.

For most, it takes some bit of acclamation before a talented prospect can perform to his true potential on the most premiere stage in the game.

Chytil made the team out of camp last season only to be sent back down to Hartford after two underwhelming showings in the first two contests of the campaign.

He would reappear in the final seven to score his first NHL goal before the biggest atrocity of a season since 2003-04 would come to a curtain call.

We knew that given what the expectations and aspirations for the season were this year, Chytil would be a top priority in this lineup to get the experience and development he would need.

We knew since being a contender was not the end-goal for this season, no matter what mistakes young guys would make, helping them flourish would be the number one priority.

He would only log two points in the month of October in where the Rangers had a rocky start.

Then came November, the month where Rangers fans actually started to second guess the identity of this team and if playoffs were an actual possibility.

Chytil would go on an impressive six-game goal scoring streak that led the Rangers right up to Thanksgiving, the tipping point where things began to descend.

From there, Chytil was solidified as a top six forward among this mix, but he would go pretty dry in December with only four points total in a month where the Rangers were just barely staying afloat.

January has been a disaster up until this past week, but if there is one thing to be excited about from all of it, it is what Chytil has started to flaunt.

With five points in the last six games, this kid has really showed his wheels and scoring abilities.

I have to say, I was a bit skeptical about all of the investment in both him and Lias Andersson over the time since they were drafted together, but I am beginning to change my outlook with the tools Chytil has been showcasing.

He has arguably granted us two of the most skilled goals we have seen in the last season and a half in the last two games – both carbon copies of one another.

A burst down the right side through all three zones, smokes the defender and cuts to the net to make the goalie bite as if he was cutting across to the left, only to roof it top right over the shoulder.

The Rangers have prided themselves on speed and building a team similar to the make-up of what the Maple Leafs have now with their young, fast and skilled core of guys like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander.

It hasn’t been enough to believe just yet he is the real deal as Chytil has been streaky this season, but he only just turned 19 in September.

If we can see this kind of confidence and creativity out of a teenager, then I think it is warranted to believe he can become a rock in this organization.

We shouldn’t change what is already working.

David Quinn should keep him on this line of Ryan Strome and Jesper Fast and give him the big minutes every night to snow ball his production.

Of course, with the return of Kevin Hayes after the break that will probably change given he is the second line center.

This leads me to another interesting thought in that Quinn isn’t even using Chytil as a center right now – which was a large reservation by fans in that Chytil needed to get time as a center and other players were preventing him from doing so.

In Hayes’ absence, Quinn has opted to use Strome as the second line center and it has been a surprising success at least up until this point.

Perhaps with the speed of Chytil, he is better off as a winger.

We’ll have to see come the Rangers return from the All-Star hiatus, as the lineup may or may not look different by then.