filip chytil

This is a much needed post, more than any other of the reasonable expectations posts we’ve written here over the past nine (holy crap it’s been nine years) years. After making a big splash at camp and proving he at least belongs in the short term, Filip Chytil was penciled into a second line role, with Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello as his flanks.

The good news is that Alain Vigneault recognizes that the kid who is barely 18 years old needs to be put in a position to succeed. With Nash and Zuccarello, he will be able to create offensively and not be the center of attention on the line. Nash and Zuccarello will draw the attention of the opposition, giving Chytil a little more room to work with. Plus, it’s good to have two skilled and seasoned vets with a kid who can’t even buy beer legally yet.

The bad news is that expectations are going to be sky-high for the kid. It seems that most fans expect him to have a Connor McDavid-esque impact, and that’s just not fair to him. McDavid, Jack Eichel, and all players of that ilk are #1 overall picks. Expecting Chytil to produce like that is setting him up for failure.

Chytil’s adjustment to the NHL will play a large role in his success. He did play in the top level Czech league last year at 17 years old, so he’s used to playing against grown men. His size 6′, 180 lbs, isn’t much of a concern either. He’s bottom-heavy, a lot like Jaromir Jagr, and uses his body to protect the puck. He is deceptively strong for his age. That said, it’s still an adjustment.

Another factor will be his special teams minutes. He likely won’t get PK duties, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see him getting significant powerplay time. If he does, then perhaps his expectations go up. But for now, let’s focus on what we should expect at even strength.

At evens, Chytil will make mistakes, especially in the defensive and neutral zones. The key is to not make the same mistake twice. This is critical, as fans are quick to judge off one miscue. I made a ton of mistakes at 18 years old. I’m 33 now and still make a bunch of mistakes. To expect perfection is just unrealistic.

However what we can expect is creative hockey below the hash marks. Chytil is playing with two great offensive minds, and it puts him in a place to succeed. Factor in his own strong hockey IQ –remember how he got himself open to shoot on his preseason OT winner– and we have the potential for big success. I think it’s ok to expect a line of 10-15-25 at even strength from Chytil this year. Powerplay time might add to it.

One thing to note: It’s also fair to expect him to play nine games and then be returned to the Czech Republic. If he doesn’t stand out or looks overwhelmed, nine games is the max he can play before the first year of his ELC is burned. Don’t think the Rangers aren’t aware of that.

For the first time in a long time, the Rangers have a tremendously skilled winger that was selected in the first round. Couple that with Pavel Buchnevich (third rounder), and the Rangers have a pair of young, skilled wingers who have the potential to be great and borderline elite players. But he (they) need time to grow and learn, and setting the right expectations is critical in that growth.

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