How patient Rangers prepared Brennan Othmann for his big NHL moment

The Rangers have handled Brennan Othmann's NHL career extremely well so far. Not giving in to the temptation of rushing Othmann to the NHL following his impressive training camp period after being drafted in the first round, 16th overall, in the 2021 entry draft. They let the young player grow at his own pace without hyping him up excessively or using his image to signal a changing tide towards more youth in the team.

Othmann was left to develop further by playing for Team Canada in the World Junior Championships in both 2022 and 2023, even securing a gold medal in the latter tournament. His success continued with his Peterborough team winning the OHL crown, leading them to the Memorial Cup semi-finals last year. Devoting his early professional season in Hartford for more learning and growth, Othmann is set to make his NHL debut against the Blackhawks and fellow Team Canada teammate Connor Bedard. This follows his Wolf Pack recall due to Tyler Pitlick sustaining a lower body injury.

Regardless of his promotion, the Rangers have not burdened him with massive expectations. He's encouraged to take things easy and enjoy the experience. Othmann, close to celebrating his 21st birthday, noted a tally of nine goals and 14 assists in 28 games with the Wolf Pack. He's more concerned with mastering the professional game's subtleties rather than obsessing over his statistics.

There's a lot more to playing in the NHL than just getting selected in the first round of the draft based on offensive production. Othmann is fully aware of this and has been working diligently on improving his game. He takes advice from his coaches seriously, trying his best to integrate it into his performance.

He experienced the ups and downs of being a pro athlete with a nine game AHL dry spell, but maintains a positive outlook. Othmann is satisfied with his progress and delighted with receiving an opportunity to show how his hard work in Hartford and earlier years has paid off.

He will commence playing as a team with Nick Bonino and Jonny Brodzinski. Coach Peter Laviolette feels comfortable introducing him at this juncture and is eager to see how he'll fare, praising his fellow line-mates for their exceptional skills and compatibility.