Brad Marchand is a two-time Stanley Cup champion who is poised to hit the 1,000 point plateau this season. You'd look at his overall resume and be pretty impressed of what he's accomplished, but it was a journey with ups and downs that required time in the AHL before he blossomed into the player he is today. Marchand was a third round pick, but that isn't stopping a first round Rangers prospect from trying to use his story as a source of motivation.
Othmann sees some similarities, and is using it as motivation
Brennan Othmann is represented by Pat Morris, an agent who also represents Marchand, and these days he's trying to stay positive after a tough start to the preseason. Via Larry Brooks of the New York Post, "My agent has Brad Marchand as a client and he played over 100 games in the American League before he made his mark {...} And look how that turned out. Just signed an unreal ticket, right?"
The comparison may just be wishful thinking on Othmann's part
It is true that Marchand, drafted in the third round of the 2006 NHL Draft, took a while to develop as a player. For much of his early career he was known for being a bottom-six pest. As time went on he refined his game, and Marchand became a point per game player at age 28, and hit 100 points as a 30 year old. The 5'9", 180-pound Marchand was much more of a longshot to amount to anything than a 6'0" and 192-pound first rounder like Othmann, but there is some wisdom to looking at the concept of development taking time.
The difference in Marchand's case is that his rookie season in Providence saw him tally 59 points in 79 games, He spent 20 games with the Bruins the following season, and 34 in the AHL where he tallied 32 points. The 2010-11 season was Marchand's coming out party with 41 points in 77 NHL games, and 19 points in 25 playoff games on the way to winning a Stanley Cup.
Clock is ticking for Othmann
Othmann is already at 94 AHL games across three seasons and has 69 points to his name. If he were to be assigned to the AHL to start the season, there's a good chance he'd quickly exceed the 113 AHL games Marchand played. In that span the current Florida Panther had a line of 31-60-91, at it was evident he was ready for more of a challenge. For the comparison to come to fruition, Othmann would need to be a point per game player in Hartford, and then return to the NHL and generate around 40 points. That may not be the most realistic scenario, but it is the one that Othmann is trying to emulate.
It remains to be seen what will happen with Othmann, but at the very least he needs to be more noticeable for the rest of the preseason. He will have opportunities to do that, but the clock is ticking. Other players from his draft class are making considerable impacts on contenders, and while no one is expecting him to have a star-like impact, he needs to show some signs of progressing as a prospect.