There are two things in life that are irretrievable, time and a first impression. Who would have thought that author Cynthia Ozick was actually talking about Brennan Othmann when she said that?
In all seriousness, though, the young winger hailing from Toronto, Canada was quite noticeable in his first preseason action on Monday night against the Islanders.
So much so that he earned himself the honor of being the first star of the game, recording two assists in the evening, including a wizard-like pass to set up K’Andre Miller for a short-handed goal.
Despite playing a bottom-six role in the first game of the preseason, Othmann was effective each time he stepped on the ice.
Which begs the question, what are his chances of making the New York Rangers’ opening night roster out of training camp?
A large roadblock
Unfortunately for the former 16th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, the Rangers opening night roster, especially in the top-9, is almost solidified.
There will likely be only one potential spot open for him to grab heading into the regular season, and that spot is currently occupied by a fellow young player with a history of throwing temper tantrums.
That’s right, Vitali Kravtsov is the one player that Brennan Othmann has a legitimate chance of out-performing for a roster spot.
Will the Rangers organization want to get on that merry-go-round again? It clearly has not worked out the last two times they tried to dismiss Kravstov to their AHL affiliate Hartford Wolfpack.
Thus, where does this leave Othmann? Do the Rangers take a risk and potentially give Othmann the final spot? Or has Kravstov’s huffing and puffing forced the Rangers’ hand?
Two possible outcomes
Of course, this is all very speculative. It is after all just one preseason game. However, Kravstov’s performance did not inspire a heap of confidence.
Othmann could very well regress, while Kravstov could take off and become a dominant force to be reckoned with.
In that case, this discussion is unnecessary. Yet, the possibility should be entertained nonetheless.
Assuming Othmann outperforms Kravstov for the rest of the preseason, there are two possible options.
Option 1: The Rangers anoint Othmann to the top-9 of the big league squad and risk losing Kravstov for good (remember, Kravtsov is no longer waiver exempt).
Option 2: Kravstov makes the team regardless of his performance and Othmann is re-assigned to the Flint Firebirds of the OHL.
Thus, the decision is likely made for the Rangers. Unless Brennan Othmann becomes the next young phenom to take the NHL by storm and grossly outplays his counterpart, the final spot in the Rangers top-9 will belong to Vitali Kravtsov.
The Rangers organization has spent far too much time mending the relationship between themselves and Kravstov to let the former 9th overall pick from Russia leave for nothing.
Unless, of course, a deal is in the works. Rangers General Manager Chris Drury has already made a smart move in dealing right-handed defensive prospect Nils Lundkvist to the Dallas Stars for a conditional first-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick.
If the Rangers do not see the effort and quality of play they are looking for from Kravstov, and Othmann continues to impress, does Drury look to make a similar move in trading Kravstov to another team to try and recoup some assets?
The 2023 NHL Draft is projected to be the deepest draft in NHL history. The possibility of owning three first-round picks could yield outstanding results in the future.
It is obvious speculation, and the likelihood of this sequence of events taking place is farfetched.
Still, the reason brainstorming is such an effective tool is that it allows one to see the potential outcomes of a variety of situations. It doesn’t hurt to entertain possibilities, does it?