If the New York Rangers fanbase knows anything, it's that they haven't exactly hit on their draft picks as of late. That is why the team's AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, struggled this past season. Not to mention, some of their top prospects over the years never panned out at the pro level. Lias Andersson and Vitali Kravtsov are two names who fit the bill as notable Rangers draft busts.
One other prospect who never panned out for the Rangers was Brennan Othmann. Even though he was touted in the 2021 draft class, Othmann was just never able to put it together, and it ultimately led to him being traded out of New York as part of their retool this year.
What makes the selection of Othmann sting that much more is that they left center prospect Wyatt Johnston on the board, who went to the Dallas Stars seven picks later.
Brennan Othmann never panned out for the Rangers
At the time of the 2021 NHL Draft, it was understandable why the Rangers drafted Othmann, considering his shot was praised in the pre-draft process. During the 2023-24 season in the AHL, Othmann put up 21 goals and 28 assists in 67 games. Those were promising numbers for Othmann, with the expectation that it could translate to the NHL. That never happened.
That same season, Othmann played three games with the Rangers, where he didn't log a single point. In the 2024-25 season, Othmann put up just two assists in 22 games. Then, this past season, Othmann tallied just one goal and zero assists in 17 games.
The writing was essentially on the wall during last year's training camp. With Othmann being demoted and missing out on a spot on the Rangers' opening night roster, reports indicated that the team was open to trading him. Add that to the unimpressive 17-game stretch with New York that year, and it was time for the Rangers to move on. They found a trade partner in the Calgary Flames, who sent over Jacob Battaglia in return.
Othmann is in that tier with Andersson and Kravtsov as first-round picks who flopped with the Rangers. What makes it sting that much worse is they could have had Johnston instead.
Wyatt Johnston's rise to stardom in Dallas makes Rangers look foolish
The Rangers currently have a need for center prospects that can contribute at the pro level in the near future. Man, imagine if they drafted Johnston. They wouldn't have an immediate need now.
Johnston made his debut with the Stars during the 2022-23 season, where he earned All-Rookie First team honors after putting up 24 goals and 17 assists through a full 82 game stretch. The thing is, Johnston's numbers only got better with each passing season. This past season, Johnston recorded 45 goals and 41 assists in 82 games, while averaging 20:07 of ice time. In fact, Johnston led the entire NHL in power play goals with 27.
In his four year career, Johnston recorded 134 goals and 129 assists in 328 games. To make things even more impressive, it's that Johnston outscored all of his 2021 draft classmates by 40-plus goals and 60-plus points, according to the Stars.
Johnston also showed his ability to show up come playoff time. There was his impressive stretch during the Stars' trip to the Western Conference in 2024, where he put up 16 points (10 goals and six assists) in 19 games. Through four playoff trips, Johnston has 22 goals and 16 assists in 62 games.
The Rangers can take solace in knowing that they aren't the only ones who missed on Johnston, as every team who picked before the No. 23 spot in the 2021 class did too. But one has to imagine how the Rangers' future outlook would look like if they had drafted Johnston, who would undoubtedly be one of their centers on their top two lines. It certainly would have ensured the Rangers didn't have a dire need for center prospects entering this offseason.
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