Blue Line Station
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New York Rangers mid-season report card

By Steve Paulus

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 19: Adam Fox #23 of the New York Rangers celebrates his second period goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden on January 19, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 19: Adam Fox #23 of the New York Rangers celebrates his second period goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden on January 19, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 18: Filip Chytil #72 of the New York Rangers stretches prior to playing against the Toronto Maple Leafs in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on October 18, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Rangers defeated the Maple Leafs 2-1 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 18: Filip Chytil #72 of the New York Rangers stretches prior to playing against the Toronto Maple Leafs in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on October 18, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Rangers defeated the Maple Leafs 2-1 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

The underachievers

These are the players who drive a frustrated fan base and their coaches (probably) nuts.  They are young players who are oozing potential, but just cannot live up to it.

Filip Chytil D

Four goals and 11 points in 37 games. 5.6% shooting percentage.  42.5% faceoff winning percentage.  Those are damning numbers.  Chytil was once the best pick of the 2017 draft, the 21st overall pick that everybody missed except the Rangers. Not any more.  The Rangers have maintained that he is their second line center of the future and that projection is looking less and less likely.  He’s got two months before the trade deadline to live up that promise. That’s sad to say about a player just 22 years old.

Julien Gauthier  D

At 6’4″,  227 lbs, Julien Gauthier is one of the biggest forwards on the team. With 53 goals in 119 AHL games he should be a finisher. Yet, he has two goals and five points in 28 games.  His shooting percentage is 4.2%, even worse than Chytil and the worst among Ranger forwards. He’s thrown 60 hits, sixth among forwards and that is a saving grace, but he is turning into a one-dimensional player who cannot finish.  There’s a reason the Hurricanes gave up on him. The Rangers are figuring that out about the 24-year-old.

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