New York Rangers rookie Filip Chytil is headed to Hartford instead of the Czech Republic because he believes in himself.
When news broke Tuesday that New York Rangers first-round pick Filip Chytil was no longer with the team, most believed that meant he was headed back to the Czech Republic. Instead, he’s joining the team’s AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolfpack.
“In his mind,” general manager Jeff Gorton told Larry Brooks of the New York Post, “Filip is an NHL player.”
GM Gorton tells Post why Chytil was assigned to AHL rather than Czech: "In his mind, Filip is an NHL player." https://t.co/oqMBHRnoRO
— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) October 10, 2017
The Rangers want to do what is best for Chytil, and they want to see more of him before deciding whether its best for his development to keep him in Hartford with the Wolfpack or to head back to the Czech Republic.
“I had a talk with Filip this morning where we discussed what would be best for him,” Gorton told Brooks, “and doing what’s best for him and his long-term interests are the priority.”
After Chytil’s first game with the Rangers, he felt the game was faster then he expected. “He was the first to admit that the pace and competition stepped up from the preseason,” Gorton said. “Filip said that he was a little bit nervous on the ice. So we wanted to get him to a place where he would get the time he needs to develop. And he is going to get all the time he needs there.”
Chytil has been honest with the team and himself since training camp began in September. “We want to give Filip more time to acclimate himself to the smaller rink surface over here, which he acknowledged that he needs and he wants it,” Gorton added.
Sometimes being sent down to the minors doesn’t feel or look like a good thing, but Chytil seemed to be receptive to this idea. He knows he has a lot of work to do, but the player and team appear to be on the same page.
