Jonny Brodzinski’s decade-long climb reaches a New York crossroad

Jonny Brodzinski was drafted 148th overall in the fifth round of the 2013 NHL Draft, and it took him over a decade to become an NHL mainstay for an entire season. That opportunity finally arrived with the New York Rangers, an organization he has been a part of for six seasons. But as the Rangers pivot toward the youth-driven Letter 2.0 retool, the final curtain may have officially come down on his time on Broadway.

Expectations

This season was the second year in a row in which Brodzinski remained with the main roster for an entire season, as he's officially graduated from AHL duty. With that in mind, his mission for the season was simple. Given his experience, he was looked at as a high-floor insurance policy who could come in and out of the lineup and deployed like a Swiss Army knife. He was the ultimate 13th forward who could skate in the bottom six, slide up if needed, and even be a point shot on the second power play unit if the situation called for it. Brodzinski was looked at as a player Mike Sullivan didn't need to worry about, although the Rangers' new bench boss had his own safety blanket of sorts who ended up cutting into Brodzinski's playing time.

Performance

Brodzinski appeared in just 55 games this past season, but he was efficient with his playing time. He averaged 11:10 a game, down from 11:41 the year before, and finished with six goals, 10 assists, and 16 points. The veteran forward had 12 goals and 19 points in 51 games the year prior, and likely would have established new career-best marks had he played in more games. His playing time was sporadic at certain points of the season, but he always put his best foot forward. He was always a valuable presence for the youngsters who came up from Hartford, as he was familiar with many of them since it wasn't all too long ago that Brodzinski was captain of the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Grade: C+

Where do they go from here?

It certainly feels like this could be the end of the road for Brodzinski in New York. He's a pending UFA, and with the Rangers set to juggle a gaggle of youngsters, while also considering outside options to improve the bottom of the lineup, it is hard to see where he fits in. Brodzinski was asked about his future on breakup day, and he acknowledged the uncertainty of it all.

No matter what happens, Brodzinski was a phenomeal veteran presence for the organization, and he's certainly played well enough to pursue better opportunities where he can be more of an NHL mainstay with steady minutes and the room to grow.

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