It is hard to believe that four years have gone by since Adam Sykora joined the New York Rangers' organization, and the newly turned 21 year old projected to start the season in the AHL is fully embracing the opportunity to fight for a chance to rejoin the varsity squad.
Despite being one of the more experienced members of the Hartford Wolf Pack, and spending 11 games at the end of last season with the Rangers, Sýkora is part of the group of players participating in rookie camp. He'll also join the team for training camp with the hopes of earning a spot on the roster in the bottom six.
Sýkora's stint with the Rangers was focal point of his summer
The Rangers' 2022 second round draft pick was quite noticeable on the ice on Friday in Greenburgh at the team's practice facility, and he was asked about what spending time with the team to end the season was like.
Via Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic:
"The biggest part was motivation. That’s what I felt last season. The last three weeks at the end of the season, it was something unbelievable, indescribable. So I feel like motivation is kind of the word. It’s what I was thinking about (all summer). … It gave me the discipline and motivation to go hard every day in the gym, on the ice, and just improve myself to be ready and maybe to get (to New York) earlier."
The journey Sýkora has taken to this point has been impressive, and he just has an infectious personality and spark that can be a real boost to a team. At 5'11" and 192 pounds he's ready for the rigors of NHL hockey, and last year it was evident that he is someone who is able to keep plucking away and fight through contact.
Sýkora was one of the youngest players in the AHL when he made his debut, and had an impressive 8-15-23 in 66 games. He followed that up with 9-21-30 IN 81 games, and last season he posted a line of 12 goals, 17 assists, and 29 points in 62 games. That he had three goals and an assist in 11 games with the Rangers was very heartening to see, especially when you consider that his biggest contributions may ultimately be when the puck isn't on his stick.
Sýkora certainly still has some developing to do, and his underlying numbers bear that out. He logged 120 minute at 5v5, and per Evolving Hockey he had a 49.64 GF%, a 47.01 CF%, and an xGF% of 42.12. Those aren't the worst percentages in the world, but there's room to grow. Jaroslav Chmelař is another youngster who could be Hartford bound, and he appeared in 28 games with the varsity squad.
He was much better to end the year than he was originally with the Blueshirts, and that could be a blueprint that Sýkora tries to emulate. In any case, Sýkora certainly has the right mindset as he gets ready for the season, and if he does end up in Hartford to start the year, the Rangers will have another quality option they can count on should the need arise at the NHL level.
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