The New York Rangers have an abundance of young talent spread across their roster, including the infamous kid line. While each kid has developed into a successful NHL player, it seems as if the line will be broken up as they move up into more prominent roles.
Being the oldest of the kids, Filip Chytil has shown the most talent since being drafted in the first round in 2017. Heading into his seventh NHL season, there is a high chance that Chytil will excel and break out even further.
The Rangers may give Chytil a top-six role
Throughout his career, Chytil has spent most of his time playing down on the third line. While the original goal was to develop Chytil into the second-line center behind Mika Zibanejad, an open cup window caused the Rangers to sign Vincent Trocheck to a massive seven-year deal, speeding up the process of filling that role.
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Even though Chytil has broken out and begun to increase his stat totals, there is no room for him to move into a top-six role without Trocheck being moved down. It’s not out of the realm of possibility, however, as Rangers GM Chris Drury has confirmed he wants to give each of the kids a chance to shine this upcoming season.
While it’s unlikely that Chytil will acquire a full-time role on the second line, there is a high chance that he and Trocheck will be swapped back and forth from time to time. After averaging just 14:41 of ice time in 2023, gaining more minutes on the second line could significantly boost Chytil’s point production.
“Mike Rupp and Tony Luftman had Chytil on their ‘Don’t Sleep On ‘Em’ list on the NHL Network. Rupp said ‘I wouldn’t be surprised and I actually think it would be the best thing for this Rangers team, his game continues to evolve and he becomes a top-six center. Where I think Vinny Trocheck will be most dangerous as a sleeper guy somewhere else in the lineup as maybe a third-line center.'”
via The Hockey News
Chytil has already begun to break out
Throughout the 2022-2023 season, Chytil managed to score 45 points in 74 games. His numbers aren’t the highest just yet, but it’s important to note that last season’s performance was almost double his previous career-high point total of 23 back in 2019.
Reaching almost the 50-point mark in the first season of his breakout is a good sign regarding his future. At just 23 years old, Chytil is far from reaching his prime, and his potential is through the roof. Depending on who his linemates are in 2023, it’s possible that Chytil could reach 60 or even 70 points this upcoming season.
