Brennan Othmanns recall from AHL could serve dual purpose for Rangers

Brennan Othmann is the first Rangers forward prospect to get the call from Hartford this season. The Blueshirts made the recall on the heels of Matt Rempe exiting in the first period of Thursday night’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Sharks, after the 6-foot-9 wing challenged veteran enforcer Ryan Reaves to a fight for running Juuso Parssinen. It’s unclear if bringing up Othmann is just precautionary, as the Rangers head on the road for four games in Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Seattle.Rempe absorbed a couple of big blows, landed a few of his own and then immediately headed to the locker room. Head coach Mike Sullivan said Rempe was still being evaluated for an upper-body injury after the game. If Rempe is going to miss time, this could be a major opportunity for the 22-year-old Othmann. The Rangers cut Othmann from training camp well before the likes of fellow top prospects Noah Laba, Brett Berard and Gabe Perreault.

It was an underwhelming preseason for the No.16 pick in the 2021 draft, who hasn’t quite found his footing on the NHL stage yet. While the Rangers were in Toronto — in Othmann’s home province of Ontario — Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the young wing was drawing interest around the NHL.

The Rangers are seeking promising prospects in return, Friedman added on Friday. There is belief that a change of scenery would be beneficial for Othmann.The recall could give Othmann an opportunity to inject some much-needed energy into the lineup, but may also serve as a showcase if the Rangers are looking to move on. Whether or not Rempe traveled with the Rangers to Calgary will presumably be revealed when the team practices at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday.

It would be unfortunate if Rempe were unable to travel to his hometown of Calgary, especially amid his strong start to the season in an increased role.  Sign up for Larry Brooks' Inside the Rangers, a weekly Sports+ exclusive.Please provide a valid e...