NEW YORK — The New York Rangers made clear where 2021 first-round pick Brennan Othmann stands with their roster move Friday, sending him down to AHL Hartford to make room for waiver addition Tye Kartye. Coach Mike Sullivan made it even clearer with his words.
“It’s been a little bit of an inconsistent game (from Othmann),” the coach said before Saturday’s 3-2 shootout win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. “We’ve talked a lot about just attention to detail, bringing a conscientious, reliable, predictable game. If you’re playing in a bottom-six role and you’re not filling the net on the offensive side of the rink, then your contribution to helping the team win has to be in those areas.”
The 23-year-old Othmann certainly isn’t filling up the net. He has only one goal in 17 NHL games this season and does not have an assist. Sullivan has been critical of the wing’s play away from the puck before this season, scratching him after his first game Oct. 26 against Calgary and using similar verbiage in his justification, saying “attention to detail” could have helped the Rangers keep the puck out of the net against the Flames.
The Rangers have yo-yoed Othmann between the AHL and NHL levels since his NHL debut in January 2024. This season, he’s had four recalls and now four demotions. He hasn’t played more than 10 consecutive NHL games yet this season, and The Athletic confirmed in October that the team was open to trading him. He’s on colleague Chris Johnston’s latest trade board.
The Rangers have a logjam of bottom-six forwards. Kartye played in his place against the Penguins, logging 12:39 in his debut. Conor Sheary and Taylor Raddysh stayed in the lineup, too, as did recent Hartford call-up Brendan Brisson, who picked up a secondary assist on the game-tying goal for his first Rangers point. At this point, Sullivan appears content to give other players opportunities instead of Othmann.
Simply put, it isn’t working out for the young winger in New York. The Rangers should do what’s best for both themselves and the player and move him before Friday’s trade deadline. The return won’t be special, but president and general manager Chris Drury has to cut his losses. Othmann’s value doesn’t appear like it’s going to increase anytime soon.
Othmann, the 16th player selected in the 2021 draft, has had success at the AHL level, putting together a 21-goal season in his first year pro and scoring 12 goals in 27 games last season. The Rangers could look to swap him for another former prospect who has proven himself in the minors but has been unable to translate it to the NHL. A player such as Fabian Lysell, who was selected by Boston five picks after Othmann and hasn’t stuck with the NHL Bruins, could fit the bill. Teams swap young AHL players every deadline to give them fresh starts.
Drury likely won’t get a high pick for Othmann if he’d prefer draft compensation to a player. Lukas Reichel, a Chicago 2020 first-round selection, had more of a track record than Othmann at both the NHL and AHL levels, and he fetched the Blackhawks a 2027 fourth-round pick in October. It’s hard to envision Drury doing better than that for Othmann.
Othmann is on a long list of recent developmental letdowns for the Rangers. Though his lack of progress certainly reflects poorly on the current front office, the issue predates Drury taking over in 2021. The Rangers made nine first-round picks from 2017 to 2021, the first eight of which came when Drury was an assistant GM under Jeff Gorton. Aside from Othmann, only Braden Schneider and Alexis Lafrenière are still in the organization. Both of them are trade candidates this deadline, too. The organization’s inability to hit on those picks has led to a lack of young reinforcements for an aging roster. It contributed to a disappointing 2024-25 season and the organization’s decision to “retool,” which Drury announced in a January letter to fans.
In theory, a recent first-round pick such as Othmann should be sticking around for a retool (or rebuild or whatever the Rangers want to call it). But he hasn’t earned Sullivan’s trust, and he failed to do the same for previous coach Peter Laviolette. He is old enough that the Rangers have a sense of the player he’ll be should he stay in the organization.
Whether the front office made a bad pick in 2021, failed to develop Othmann properly or some combination of the two, the reality of his situation is clear. Ignoring it would only prolong an inevitable breakup.
Kartye slots in immediately for Rangers’ debut
The 24-year-old Kartye, who played 180 games the past three seasons for the Seattle Kraken, found out the Rangers had claimed him on waivers at 11 a.m. PT Friday. He hustled to catch a flight less than four hours later, then checked into a hotel in New York.
“Just slept, woke up and came to play,” he said.
“He came as advertised,” Sullivan said. “(Drury) talked to me about his motor and his ability to help us in the puck pursuit game. … For a guy who gets the news yesterday, travels all the way across the country and then has to lace them up for a 12:30 p.m. ET game, that’s not an easy thing to do. But I thought he played really well.”
Kartye, playing in the bottom six, led the Rangers with six hits against the Penguins and had two shots on goal. The Rangers had 54.6 percent of the expected goal share with him on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Kartye said, “It stinks to be put on waivers,” but he was excited that the Rangers claimed him and believes he’ll have a good opportunity to prove himself in New York. He wants to bring physicality and forchecking, and Sullivan also said he expects the winger to get opportunities on the penalty kill as he gets settled. He’s under contract through 2026-27 with a $1.25 million cap hit.
Kartye signed with Seattle as an undrafted free agent in 2022, then debuted in the playoffs in 2023, scoring in his first game against the Colorado Avalanche. He was a regular in the Kraken’s bottom six in 2023-24, scoring 11 goals, but he was a healthy scratch at points in each of the past two seasons.
“I think I’m at that level where I want to be in the lineup every night,” he said. “I think I’m at that level I was at a couple years ago. I’m just going to try to play my game and do what I can.”