2026 Rangers Report Card: Brennan Othmann

This article is part of an ongoing series of Rangers Report Cards, grading the performance of each member of the 2025-26 New York Rangers. To view more report cards in this series, go here.

Expectations

In the fall of 2025, I laid out two paths for Brennan Othmann to make this season successful. One: Impress the coaches in training camp and stick around for the season after making the team. Two: Be among the last cuts, but dominate for the Hartford Wolf Pack and force the Rangers’ hand to call him back up. While both paths were possible, it was becoming increasingly difficult to believe they were realistic.

Othmann has now had a few kicks at the can, and it was more than likely that he would once again be the odd man out, especially as the team signed multiple veteran depth forwards and had an excess of prospects at the wing position who were bumping him down the depth chart. Regardless of the challenges, it was expected that Othmann would at the very least consistently score at the AHL level.

Performance

AHL 40 GP | 9 G | 14 A | 23 PTS

NHL 19 GP | 2 G | 1 A | 3 PTS

Objectively speaking, Brennan Othmann’s season with the New York Rangers was a failure. He was cut early in training camp, sent down to the AHL, and was a shell of himself. It later came out that he requested a trade early in the season, and it was clear the young winger was frustrated with his situation. In 26 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack, Othmann scored eight goals and eight assists, averaging just over 0.6 PPG, his worst offensive performance with the AHL organization.

Othmann was called up various times throughout the season, but it wasn’t exactly earned. The Rangers and their new head coach, Mike Sullivan, were fully aware of the situation. The reason was that Sullivan wanted to see what he had in the prospect, and the organization wanted to give Othmann the opportunity and stage to impress and generate some interest around the league.

In his first call-up in late October, Othmann joined the Rangers’ west coast trip and played 12 minutes in the first game against the Calgary Flames. After being benched for poor decision-making, Othmann didn’t see another minute in the next three games and was promptly reassigned to the Wolf Pack upon their return to New York. Sullivan went on to explain what they needed from Othmann.

The fiery winger continued to underperform in the AHL and was recalled and reassigned throughout the year until his longest NHL stint this season, when he played 11 games for the Rangers in January and February. During that stretch, Othmann notched his first and only goal for the organization that drafted him. Drafted for his tenacity and scoring ability, the Rangers weren’t getting much of either, but it was nice to see Othmann finally break through.

After the Olympic break, Othmann, with a bad case of déjà vu, was reassigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack. As the trade deadline approached, the Rangers were shopping Othmann. With Drury finally accepting a discounted return, the Rangers sent Othmann to the Calgary Flames for their 2024 second-round pick, Jacob Battaglia.

We won’t spend too much time on Othmann’s time in the Flames’ organization. He reported to the Calgary Wranglers in the AHL, made a two-game debut in the NHL for the Flames, where he scored one goal and added an assist, and finished the season with the Wranglers, potting one goal and six assists in 14 games—again, an underwhelming performance. Though an incredibly small sample size, Othmann’s stint with Calgary was the most productive hockey he’s played in the NHL since being drafted, and he was candid with the media about his experience in the Rangers’ organization.

Grades

Author Grade: F

Banter Consensus: F

Final Evaluation

We obviously graded Othmann pretty harshly here, but given what he accomplished for the Rangers, this season was indeed a failure. He failed to make the team out of training camp after attending yet another rookie camp. He failed to score consistently in the AHL, with his production taking a small step back. He also failed to stick in the NHL when he was given opportunities, which he received several times throughout the year.

All that being said, this isn’t entirely on Othmann. There are details and facts about his treatment and usage that people can point to to argue that he wasn’t set up for success. For example, he dealt with injuries and lacked consistency in the yo-yo act he was mandated to perform, traveling back and forth between the AHL and the NHL for much of his Rangers’ tenure. Also, it’s true his ice time was abysmal, and he was most often deployed on grinding and disrupting lines. However, even when given small chances to play with the top half of the Rangers’ roster, Othmann was always invisible.

The winger was suffering an identity crisis. He had always been “the guy” in the OHL, but it was clear he wasn’t good enough to be that guy for an NHL team. He had to adapt to a defensively responsible, grinding role, which he struggled to play. Othmann failed to thrive in New York. Across three seasons under two different coaches, he scored three points in 42 games for the Rangers. Argue all you want that he wasn’t given a real chance, but from most perspectives, Othmann was given 42 opportunities to make a difference, failed to do so, yet still felt entitled to be on their NHL roster.