New York Rangers: Why Keeping Filip Chytil Is The Right Decision

The New York Rangers’ front office recently decided to keep Filip Chytil around in the NHL. Amidst tough decisions regarding his contract, keeping Chytil with the big club is the way to go.

The New York Rangers knew from day one of the season that it would eventually have to make a decision about 19-year-old Filip Chytil. While clearly ready for the NHL in size and play style, doubts remained about David Quinn’s ability to give him the minutes he needs, at the position that best suits him.

Adding to this dilemma was the potential to allow Chytil’s contract to slide one more year if he were to spend the season with Hartford. This would allow the Rangers to keep Chytil at his entry level salary for one year longer. However, Gorton and Quinn decided otherwise.

Despite some controversy from voices all across the Rangers’ spectrum, the organization stayed true to their youth movement and chose to keep playing the talented Czech youngster. By season’s end, the decision will prove to be the right one, both for the team and for his development.

Let’s break down the Chytil situation and what led Gorton and Quinn to make this very important decision:

Chytil’s Performance So Far

Last year, Filip Chytil performed incredibly well in the AHL, almost unprecedentedly so. Scoring at the rate he did (11 goals, 20 assists, 31 points in 46 games) is no trifling matter for an 18 year old. Not many perform as admirably as he did at that age. William Nylander and David Pastrnak come to mind, and they were several months older during their 18 year old AHL tenure.

When called up, Chytil managed one goal and two assists in nine games for a Rangers team that was already out of the playoffs. From his AHL season to the way he finished that year off, it was almost a sure thing that he would make the 2018-19 team, unless he fell flat on his face in camp.

Make the team he did, and in spite of the rebuilding Rangers struggling to win games, Chytil has been getting more and more comfortable as an NHLer. He has two assists through nine games, but the underlying numbers speak even more to his success. His even strength CF% stands at 51.4%, fifth best on the team, and second amongst team centers.

Chytil may be a little snakebitten in the goal category, but so is the entire team. It feels difficult and unfair to single him out on a team that has struggled mightily to produce offense, coached by someone who is still trying to figure out which combinations work. Much like the team, Chytil is a work in progress for David Quinn.

Keeping vs Demoting Chytil

It’s pretty safe to say that, right now, Filip Chytil is in that limbo category of “too good for the AHL, not consistent enough for the NHL”. This is a very good place for a 19 year old to be. Though it leads to some tough decisions, it means the player is close, close enough that there isn’t much development needed before that player is a full timer.

In cases like this, many players get forced to play in the AHL because there just isn’t a place for that player on the team. However, with Chytil, he has proven over and over that he is simply too good to be wasting away in the AHL. That, and that alone, is why keeping him in the NHL is the right move.

Sure, he may struggle. He may go another nine game stretch without burying a goal. The truth of the matter is that, for his development, he has nothing to learn at the AHL level anymore. He’s adjusted to the small ice. He’s adjusted to the pace of play. He has the skill to compete. All he would do in the AHL is light the lamp constantly.

At the NHL level, he can struggle constructively. Development as a hockey player is all about struggling and learning as a result of it. A prospect cannot be expected to be “ready” or “not ready” as it isn’t necessarily that black and white. A determination of whether or not his struggles at whatever level of hockey can be constructive to his overall learning process needs to be made.

On this team, with David Quinn coaching him (and, allegedly, taking him out to breakfast every game day), Chytil will play many roles and become comfortable at this level. He has already proven enough in the minors. That phase of his career is over. Soon, it will be for the young Swede Lias Andersson as well. These situations are handled on a case by case basis; there is no formula or algorithm for prospect development.

Now, hopefully, Chytil can bury a goal soon and really get this thing going.