Filip Chytil Rotating into Lines

As the Rangers now have their eyes set on their next opponent, the Carolina Hurricanes, a familiar face is rotating into the lineup within practice.

Not entirely new or newsworthy, but Chytil has been fully practicing with the team since early April. As the Rangers progress in the postseason, the question on whether he will or will not return will only continue to burn brighter and brighter. While he has cycled in with certain lines on the Rangers roster, coverage is also maintaining that the Blueshirts are running their standard four lines we've seen in the postseason thus far.

The truth of the matter is no one aside from Rangers management and Laviolette know when and if Chytil will make his triumphant return. It's not ironic per se, but it is worth noting that Chytil sustained his injury this season against the Hurricanes very early in the year. The series against the Capitals may have been needlessly physical in various ways, but the Rangers were able to end it quickly and avoid the physicality and level of violence escalating, and to be clear that is what the Rangers were expected to do. The visit in Washington was by most anticipated to be a brief one.

It's hard to feel the same way about the upcoming series against the Hurricanes. The Rangers will need to be firing on all cylinders, which can either create the perfect situation for Chytil to return with his injection of skill and speed, or on the other side create scenarios to be wary of knowing that the pace and escalated physicality could put him at risk if he's truly not game ready. Either way it's comforting to know the Rangers have a weapon in Chytil potentially waiting in the wings (or in the middle). Let's go Rangers!