Brennan Othmann Heads to Hartford as Will Cuylle Secures final Rangers spot
By Marvin Azrak
A New York Rangers Rookie Surprise: Will Cuylle Cracks the Blueshirts ‘ Lineup, While Brennan Othmann gets sent to the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Big news from the New York Rangers’ camp! They’ve put forward Jonny Brodzinski and defenseman Ben Harpur on waivers. And you know what that means? It’s official – the rookie sensation Will Cuylle has earned his spot on the team.
Cuylle, who’s just 21, had an impressive training camp. He scored twice and racked up 3 points on 12 shots, all while sporting a +1 rating.
Based on the last preseason game, it looks like Cuylle might be sliding onto the left wing, with Vincent Trocheck at center and Blake Wheeler on the right.
The Rangers picked up this big 6’3″, 211-pound power forward back with the 60th overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. They obtained that pick after trading Lias Andreson to the Los Angeles Kings.
After tearing it up in the juniors for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, Cuylle transitioned to the pros last season, putting up 25 goals and 45 points in 69 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack.
The Blueshirts even gave him a taste of the big league with four games last year. Sure, he didn’t light up the scoresheet, but he caught the management’s eye.
Playing in a limited fourth-line role, he threw eight hits and even dropped the gloves for two fights. A real bruiser in the making!
Cuylle also has two more years left on his entry-level contract, and it’s a team-friendly $902,500 AAV. Talk about a steal!
Yet, while Cuylle readies for opening night on Thursday, Brennan Othmann will be heading back to Hartford.
Brennan Othmann’s wait for NHL debut continues:
The Rangers decided to send the highly touted winger to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Now, if the team weren’t already a powerhouse, Othmann might’ve snagged a spot on the main roster.
In the preseason, he lit the lamp twice on six shots in five games!
Othmann proved he could go toe-to-toe with NHL pros, and he’s only 20!
The problem was finding him a spot in the top six, where he’s destined to play in the NHL. In those last preseason games, he was on the fourth line.
As he heads to Hartford, the Wolf Pack must be over the moon to have him. In the OHL last season, he scored 29 goals and dished out 38 assists for a whopping 67 points in just 56 games.
And when it came to playoff time, Othmann turned into a goal-scoring machine, leading the Peterborough Petes to an OHL title with eight goals and 17 assists, totaling 25 points in just 23 playoff games. Sadly, they didn’t bag the Memorial Cup, which the QMJHL’s Quebec Ramparts won.
However, Othmann left his junior career in style, winning back-to-back World Junior Championship Gold Medals with Team Canada.
Othmann has three years left on his ELC with an AAV of $863,333. Plus, there’s a good chance we’ll see him don the Rangers’ jersey this season as a call-up. The future’s looking bright!