Game #16: New York Rangers vs Seattle Kraken Open Thread

Get ready for a week's worth of late-night hockey. The New York Rangers' first west coast road trip of the seasons kicks off in the Pacific Northwest tonight as the Blueshirts make the trip into Climate Pledge Arena for a matchup with the Seattle Kraken. Seattle will be the first stop in a four game swing that will see Peter Laviolette's squad pass through western Canada as well, with all four contests starting at 9 or 10 PM eastern time.

As the Rangers spend the week away from home, the biggest storyline of the trip will be Filip Chytil's absence. The blossoming star suffered yet another "upper-body" injury on Thursday, and given Chytil's history of concussions and New York's ambiguity regarding his status moving forward, it doesn't take a detective to figure out why Chytil will miss this road trip. Jonny Brodzinski is expected to slide up to the third line to take Chytil's spot, and Jake Leschyshyn has been recalled from AHL Hartford to serve as the spare forward for the time being.

Player to Watch: Jonny Brodzinski

With Chytil sidelined, Brodzinski will be tasked with filling Chytil's spot between Kaapo Kakko and Will Cuylle. Brodzinski spent time in the top nine last season, but his effectiveness waned as the season progressed and he was eventually phased out of that rotation in the latter stages of the season. Tasked with playing more substantial minutes than usual, keep an eye on Brodzinski tonight.

Enjoy the game!