Third line remains in flux for Rangers as former promising prospect falls out of favor

In their centenary year, the New York Rangers are hoping for a bounce back campaign under new coach Mike Sullivan. While some changes are natural with a new bench boss, it is expected that three of New York’s forward lines are somewhat set.

Their top six, in some configuration, should be skipper J.T. Miller, Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Will Cuylle, Alexis Lafreniere and Vinny Trocheck. That’s a solid group. The fourth line will feature emerging giants in Matt Rempe and Adam Edstrom, likely centered by veteran Sam Carrick.

Questions remain on the third line

There are a raft of players competing for those final three spots on the Rangers opening night roster. Coming into the preseason, veterans such as Jonny Brodzinski, free agent signing Taylor Raddysh and Sullivan favorite Conor Sheary were expected to have a head start on winning those final roster spots.

The 24-year-old Jusso Parssinen was also expected to stake a claim. The Finn scored five points in 11 games for the Rangers last season after coming over from Colorado in the Ryan Lindgren trade. He tallied 25 points in 45 games as a rookie with Nashville in 2023, so there is somewhat of a track record for the Rangers to call on with Parssinen.

The Rangers prospects were the wildcard. Brett Berard impressed as a rookie, with six goals and for assists across limited ice time in 35 appearances. He has looked good in the preseason. Young phenom Gabe Perreault, who many thought would be a season away from staking a claim with the big club, has been in majestic form, with four points in as many games. Additionally, hulking 22-year-old center Noah Laba has emerged as a legitimate option, with four assists and a game winning goal so far this preseason.

Inevitably, there will be a few odd men out. One of those will be once-promising prospect Brennan Othmann.

Former first-round pick falling out of favor in New York

Othmann, the first pick of general manager Chris Drury’s reign – 16th overall in 2021 – possesses decent size, good skating ability, a chippy personality and a howitzer of a shot. He was given his first long look with the Rangers last season and, in an admittedly disastrous campaign all around, failed his audition miserably. In 22 games, Othmann posted a measly two assists and, concerningly, looked completely passive on the ice, recording just a single penalty.

A new season with a new coach meant the slate was wiped clean. Othmann, though, has continued to struggle. A single power-play goal was all he was able to tally through four preseason outings and while he demonstrated increased physicality, it wasn’t game changing in the Rempe mold. On the puck, Othmann’s hesitancy again stood out. He consistently whiffed on pucks, fumbled simple passes and attempted tentative clearances, two of which directly resulted in goals against.

With Perreault and Laba starring, Parssinen playing with discipline and Berard waiting in the wings, Othmann has slipped a long way down the Rangers prospect pecking order. And that’s before we even consider the veteran trio of Brodzinski, Raddysh and Sheary.

The inevitable finally happened today as Othmann was dropped from the Rangers roster. He’s still waiver exempt, so will report to the Rangers AHL affiliate in Hartford, where he will attempt to rebuild his confidence and the trust of the Rangers organization.

Turning 23 in January, time is running out for a once highly touted player.