The New York Rangers are having an interesting start to their season, to say the least. They can't score a goal at home, but they are an offensive juggernaut on the road. The Rangers have already set a record they don't want to own, and that's being the first team in NHL history to not score a goal in any of their first three home games of the season. To say it's weird start to the campaign is a massive understatement.
Before the season, all eyes were on training camp to see which young forwards would make the roster. Names like Gabe Perreault, Brett Berard, and Noah Laba were gaining serious traction, ultimately leading to the latter earning a spot as their third-line center. But one player who didn't exactly impress new head coach Mike Sullivan is already garnering interest around the league.
Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported on Thursday that forward Brennan Othmann, who was cut from training camp to play for the Hartford wolf Pack, is receiving interest from other teams around the league.
"The Rangers have a lot on the wings, and it simply may be that he needs a fresh start elsewhere," writes Friedman. "We will see where things go, but there’s definitely discussion about the next steps of his career."
Rangers receiving trade interest from other teams for Brennan Othmann
The Rangers do have a logjam at forward. The top six is already locked in with the likes of Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller, Will Cuylle, Alexis Lafrenière, who are all under contract beyond this season. Plus, Perreault was a serious contender to make the roster had Laba not had an incredible training camp and preseason. Othmann was the odd man out, but his play in camp didn't help his case, making him an early cut.
In the preseason, Othmann played in four games. He notably scored a goal in the team's 5-4 loss to the Islanders. But in that stretch of games, Othmann recorded seven shots on goal. Just before the the Rangers' fifth preseason game, Othmann was informed he was heading to Hartford to start the season.
Othmann had very limited playing time in the big leagues with the Rangers. In the 2023-24 season, he played just three games and didn't record a single point. The year before that, Othmann played 22 games, where he recorded two assists and posted a plus/minus ratio of +7.
The Rangers have multiple young forwards who could make the leap onto the roster this season, such as Perreault and Berard. Considering that, Othmann is garnering interest from other teams. It's not necessarily a bad thing that the Rangers have a surplus at one position, enough to have teams call about a trade. But it will remain to be seen if general manager Chris Drury will even entertain those calls. All of a sudden, this early into the season, the Rangers have a trade chip.