Rangers choose upside over certainty by keeping Jaroslav Chmelař on the roster

The New York Rangers had an easy roster move available. They could have assigned Jaroslav Chmelař to Hartford without placing him on waivers, kept Taylor Raddysh on the NHL roster, and kept both players in the organization. They chose not to.

Instead, the Blueshirts placed Raddysh on waivers Sunday while keeping the 23-year-old Chmelař. It was one of the more surprising decisions as their opening roster took shape, particularly because Raddysh appeared to have a solid training camp.

This wasn't a decision forced by waiver eligibility; rather, it was a choice. The underpinnings of that choice become clearer when the Rangers' roster construction is viewed in its entirety. The 2021 fifth-round pick remains waiver-exempt, meaning Chris Drury could have sent Chmelař to the AHL without risking his loss. He could have played significant minutes, contributed in all situations, and continued developing as one of Hartford's most important forwards. That path would have been relatively, ostensibly straightforward.

Chris Drury chose potential over certainty

Keeping Raddysh, who cleared waivers on Monday, would have given the Blueshirts an experienced depth winger who played 68 games last season, scoring nine goals and 19 points. He also scored during his only preseason appearance, seemingly doing little to play his way off the roster. Yet the organization discerned something different in Chmelař. The decision reflects a roster quandary that isn't entirely about who performed better in September, but about what the organization believes it needs once the season begins.

Part of the explanation is financial. Raddysh carries a $1.5 million cap hit, while Chmelař costs $943,250. Choosing Chmelař saves the Rangers some money, although $275,000 of Raddysh's contract remains on the cap. The slight savings is meaningful for a team attempting to carry eight defensemen while fitting goaltender Joonas Korpisalo's $3 million and the rest of its roster under the salary cap.

Yet, it doesn't appear to be a move dictated entirely by money. The Rangers appear to believe Chmelař is ready to help them now. At 6'4", Chmelař brings size, speed and an aggressive forechecking presence to the bottom six. He scored four goals and six points in 28 NHL appearances last season despite receiving limited minutes and almost no offensive role. Those numbers don't jump off the page, but Chmelař showed enough flashes to make head coach Mike Sullivan curious about what he might become with a larger opportunity. There is an intrinsic appeal to betting on a player whose ceiling remains undefined.

The Rangers’ puzzling fourth line calculus

Raddysh is the more experienced and predictable player. He can move around the lineup, contribute some secondary scoring, and provide a reasonably stable performance on the fourth line. The issue is that the Rangers already know what he is. At 28, Raddysh is unlikely to become much more than a depth winger. He does several things competently, but he doesn't possess one defining trait that separates him from the Rangers' other bottom-six options.

By comparison, Chmelař remains an unfinished product. That creates risk, but it also creates malleability. His game still has room to develop, and the Blueshirts fourth-line competition featured Raddysh, Chmelař and Matt Rempe fighting for limited space. Rempe offers a unique physical element that neither of the other two can replicate. Chmelař brings more pace and long-term potential than Raddysh.

That left Raddysh stuck in the middle. He may be the safest player of the three, but safety was apparently not enough to earn the roster spot. They valued longevity and are gambling on what Chmelař could become rather than what Raddysh already is. The interesting part isn't simply that the Rangers chose the younger player. It's that they were willing to create a problem to do it. They could have sent Chmelař to Hartford without consequence and kept Raddysh, but instead chose to expose an established NHL player to waivers because they apparently believe Chmelař's upside, and what he can provide right now is worth the risk.

Now, Chmelař has to play

Now comes the important part: Chmelař needs to play. If they kept him because they believe he can become a regular contributor, he should receive a legitimate opportunity in the lineup. Sticking him in the press box consistently while Rempe plays limited fourth-line minutes would undermine the developmental argument. Chmelař would benefit more from playing 18 minutes per night in Hartford than serving as an NHL spectator. If the plan is to rotate Chmelař and Rempe by opponent, the decision becomes easier to understand. Rempe can play when the Rangers want additional physicality. Chmelař can enter when they need more speed, forechecking pressure, and defensive reliability.

That gives New York two distinct fourth-line options rather than keeping Raddysh as a more conventional extra forward. Yet the Rangers stashed most of his $1.5 million cap hit in Hartford, as he cleared waivers giving the Blueshirts an experienced recall option while creating an immediate NHL opening for Chmelař.

However, they still accepted unnecessary risk. They could have protected every player involved by assigning Chmelař to Hartford. Instead, they placed Raddysh's future in the hands of the league's other 31 teams who bailed them out. They were willing to accept some uncertainty, believing the potential reward is commensurate with the risk. This wasn't a waiver technicality, and it wasn't the only roster move available. The Rangers chose Chmelař over Raddysh. Now they need to give the young winger enough playing time to prove they chose correctly.

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