NY Rangers 2023 prospect rankings: No. 2 brings scoring, grit and winning track record

Beginning Aug. 28, lohud.com and the USA TODAY Network will release our fifth annual ranking of the top 10 prospects in the New York Rangers' organization.

These prospect profiles, with one set to be revealed each weekday through Sept. 8, are based on conversations with over 20 sources in total. They include coaches, trainers and executives who have worked closely with these young players, pro and amateur scouts from around the world and many of the prospects themselves. Any players who are eligible for the Calder Trophy − 25 or younger and have not played more than 25 NHL games in a season, nor six or more games in any two preceding seasons − are up for consideration.

No. 2: LW Brennan Othmann

From the moment the Peterborough Petes acquired Brennan Othmann in a November trade with the Flint Firebirds, Rob Wilson made a decision.

Despite Othmann's status as one of the leading scorers in the OHL, the Petes head coach was determined to push the Rangers' 2021 first-round draft pick out of his comfort zone.

"When you're as good as he is, or was as a youngster, coaches at those levels maybe don't challenge you as much," Wilson said. "I tried to give him an understanding that, ‘You’re not just going to be a guy scoring goals for us or creating plays. You’re going to have to play in all areas.’ And he embraced it. He really did."

As it turned out, that tough love is exactly what Othmann wanted.

There were times he and Wilson butted heads − "We had some days where he probably left the rink not happy with me," the coach admitted − but they both viewed it as a necessary evil to avoid complacency.

That was the concern when Othmann embarked on his age-19 season.

The year prior, he lit the OHL up with 97 points (50 goals and 47 assists) in 66 games − a clear sign that he was ready for something new. But an agreement between the NHL and Canadian junior leagues prevents any prospect under the age of 20 from turning pro unless they make an NHL roster, which ruled out playing for New York's AHL affiliate in Hartford.

When the win-now Rangers predictably decided Othmann wouldn't be part of their 2022-23 squad, his only option was to return to a league he had already dominated.

"The big challenge for him was going back and understanding having pro habits and not getting into the stats from the year before and looking at, ‘Oh, I've got to break these (records)’ – but the details of his game and being a 200-foot player consistently," Blueshirts director of player development Jed Ortmeyer said. "Play hard and play the right way, so that when the transition does come to turn pro, he's going to be more prepared."

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Othmann racked up 24 points (11 goals and 13 assists) in his first 16 games for Flint, but at times, it felt like he was going through the motions.

Then came the trade to Peterborough, which, as Ortmeyer put it, forced him to deal with "the adversity of changing teams."

"I was very thankful to go there," Othmann said at Rangers' development camp in July. "With my previous team (Flint), I was able to go out there and run around and kind of do my own thing without any kind of consequences. Then when I went to Rob with Peterborough, he was great. The first few games I was kind of running around a little bit. He pulled me in the office and reeled me back in."

Soon enough, Othmann was requesting extra-help sessions.

"He would say to me, ‘Coach, can we do some more video? Can we have another meeting? Can you go over this with me?’" Wilson recalled. "He really, really wanted to get better."

The focus was rarely on offense − "That all comes natural to him," the coach said − rather the finer points of the game.

"We had lots of meetings about his back pressure and his defensive-zone play, shot blocking – times when, 'You know what? You're gapped out by the defensemen and the only option is to chip a puck, otherwise you're putting your team and yourself at risk of a turnover,'" Wilson said. "We didn't want to take any of his creativity away. We wanted to keep that because he does have a really good offensive brain and thinks the game really well. ... We just tried to make sure that he was improving on his play without the puck and his responsibility."

The result was lesser point production during his time with Peterborough − although 43 points (18 goals and 25 assists) in 40 regular-season games, plus another 25 (eight goals and 17 assists) in 23 playoff games, isn't too shabby − but improved focus on the areas where Ortmeyer and the Rangers wanted to see him grow.

That ultimately led to team success, with the Petes capturing their first OHL title since 2006.

"This year, I was more worried about trying to win," said Othmann, who also played a key role in helping Team Canada win a second consecutive World Junior championship in January. "That's the most important thing. Everyone wants a winner, and I think I've established that I've won at pretty high levels with the World Juniors and with the OHL."

That winning track record, coupled with the willingness to accept coaching that Wilson described, alleviates some concern about how the now-20-year-old Othmann will adapt to life as a pro.

One Northeast scout expressed skepticism, saying, "His character has not been talked about positively by some people," but another sounded less worried and called Othmann the Rangers "highest upside prospect."

"You have to be either really good at a few things (to play in the top six) or extremely honest to be a third-line guy," the first scout said. "He can score, but enough to earn a job as an NHL goal-scorer? He's going to have to do all these other things that character guys do."

Even if his potent left-handed shot and sound offensive instincts don't translate into gaudy scoring stats, Wilson believes other traits give Othmann a chance to succeed further down in the lineup.

It starts with the 6-foot, 181-pounder's grittiness.

"He's an extremely physical player," Wilson said. "He's a great body checker, and so as he grows, that part of his game can help him get ice time at the highest level. ... He can be a great antagonist to the opposition. He really can get under the other team’s skin."

That showed up repeatedly during the Peterborough's playoff run, which Wilson noted was just as important as any of his goals.

"He drew a number of big, big penalties for us – taking guys off the ice at the right time – and the discipline he showed in turning the other cheek was outstanding," the coach said. "It really got contagious for the team."

Combining that agitator role with his offensive skills explains why many view Othmann as one of the top-two prospects in the Rangers' system. He could make the team right out of training camp, but the prevailing belief is he'll get his feet wet first with Hartford.

How quickly he forces his way onto the NHL roster will largely depend on his commitment to the lessons learned in his stint with Wilson and the Petes.

"He's been such an elite offensive player his whole life that, to have the patience is not easy for any young player," Wilson said. "He might find himself maybe not on a line that he's used to playing. He’ll have to be patient and understand that it's going to be a process. It's difficult for all of them, and I think that'll be a challenge that he'll have to battle with."

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Brennan Othmann: NY Rangers prospect No. 2 in 2023 rankings