The New York Rangers have traded away former first-round pick Brennan Othmann out West ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli broke the news that the Rangers dealt Othmann to the Calgary Flames for Jacob Battaglia in a one-for-one deal.
New York selected Othmann 16th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft; however, he has struggled to crack the roster. He’s in the final year of his three-year, $2.59 million entry-level deal.
Othmann has struggled to find a footing with the Rangers and was recently sent down to the AHL, which signalled the end of his time with the organization. The 23-year-old has recorded 1 goal in 17 games this season. In his NHL career, he’s recorded 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points in 42 games.
In return, the Rangers acquired Battaglia, who’s a 19-year-old forward. The Flames selected Battaglia in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft. He’s playing in Kingston in the OHL and has recorded 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 36 games.
Rangers Were Likely to Trade Othmann
New York sent Othmann back down to the AHL, which signalled the end of his time in the organization.
It was clear that both sides needed a fresh start. After the demotion, Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan said Othmann had things he needed to work on.
“I think there are elements of his game that have to continue to improve in order for him to establish himself as an NHL player,” Sullivan said of Othmann. … “I just think it has been a little bit of an inconsistent game.
“There have been times when he’s made a positive impact on the game, there have been others when he hasn’t. We’ve talked a lot to him about attention to detail, bringing in a reliable, conscientious 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 contributions have to be in those areas. Those are the areas we’ve worked with Otter to try to help him.”
Othmann struggled to break through into the Rangers lineup, as when he was up in the NHL, he was scratched or got limited minutes.
So, New York ended up trading away the former first-round pick for a 19-year-old prospect in an intriguing move.
New York Were Sellers
The Rangers are in the midst of another disappointing season.
New York had goals of making the Stanley Cup playoffs, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, the Rangers were once again sellers.
New York traded away Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings before the Olympic break. On deadline day, the Rangers also traded away Sam Carrick to the Buffalo Sabres for Buffalo’s own third-round draft pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft and Chicago’s sixth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
It’s another disappointing season for the Rangers as general manager Chris Drury said the team was expected to retool.
“With our position in the standings and injuries to key players this season, we must be honest and realistic about our situation,” Drury wrote before the deadline. “We are not going to stand pat. A shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool the team.
“This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects. We will target players that bring tenacity, skill, speed, and a winning pedigree with a focus on obtaining young players, draft picks, and cap space to allow us flexibility moving forward.”
New York is 24-29-8 and last in the East.
NHL Trades: Rangers Deal Disgruntled Former 1st-Round Pick Out West