Tag: winnipeg jets

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — After five seasons with the Rangers, something clicked for Filip Chytil during the run to the Eastern Conference final in 2021-22.

That’s how the Rangers center put it when thinking back on the seven goals and two assists he contributed in the 20 playoff games. Those were not the statistics that Chytil is most proud of, but his overall impact game in and game out made him feel he was finally an integral part of the team that drafted him 21st overall in 2017.

“Finally” was the word that Chytil breathed out as if a weight had been lifted off his chest, which has allowed him to skate lighter and freer than he ever has before.

“I always believed in myself, always believed what I could do, and that’s exactly what showed up in the playoffs, finally,” Chytil told The Post before playing 14:20 in the Rangers’ 4-1 loss to the Jets. “That was great. Hopefully, now I can build on and everybody as a team can build on the playoffs.”

The timing couldn’t be more perfect for Chytil to take the confidence he gained in the playoffs and let it play out on the ice in the 2022-23 season. At the end of this season, Chytil will become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. A $2.6 million qualifying offer will be required of the Rangers to retain the RFA rights to Chytil, who turned 23 in September and is already six years into his NHL career.

Chytil seemingly hit a plateau in terms of production over the last four seasons, considering the fact that he finished with 22 or 23 points each year. But the Chytil that showed up in the 2021-22 playoffs — and the first few games of this season — should be capable of much more.

In forming the Kid Line last season with Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko, Chytil was formidable on the forecheck and below the hash marks. He wasn’t getting knocked off the puck as much as he once did. That came through once again Thursday night in a 7-3 victory at Minnesota, when Chytil battled for position in front of the net and cleaned up a rebound on an Adam Fox shot for the 4-1 score in the second period.

“All the people can talk with you about how the playoffs are different than the regular season, or how hard it is,” he said. “But if you experience it as something where you can feel your experience, where you can get better as a player — because you play against the best teams in the league and you play the hardest games [that] you can play in our sport — it helps a lot.”

Entering the matchup Friday night at Winnipeg, Chytil is 9-for-15 from the dots for a 60 faceoff win percentage. He owns a career 40.7 faceoff win percentage and has never finished above 43.41 percent, which was just last season. It may be early, but Chytil is on the right track to helping the Rangers in an area they have been deficient in for a while.

The Rangers have been waiting to find out what they have in Chytil for quite some time, and there is no time like the present. Between his impending restricted free agency and the Rangers’ championship window, the time is now.

“I know I helped the team, not just with the goals, because everybody sees the stats, everybody sees the goals and assists and points, it’s everywhere,” Chytil said. “But I think even the small stuff that people don’t see or people see, but it’s not that important for them. For me, personally, for the coaches, for the team, mainly for the team, what I brought in the playoffs and even before the playoffs when we had a run [for] a good spot [in the] playoffs, I felt great about it.

“That’s what makes me feel good and makes me feel that I’m part of the team.”