Filip Chytil Out for Season

Following a heartbreaking setback in his recovery from a presumed concussion, the New York Rangers have confirmed that 24-year-old center Filip Chytil is out for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

Chytil has been out since Nov. 2, where he suffered what is suspected to be a concussion, although the Rangers have never been more specific than referring to it as an upper-body injury. After taking some time back in his home country of Czechia to recover, he recently returned to the Rangers and had just begun skating with the team in a non-contact capacity.

Sadly, something went wrong on Friday, where Chytil fell to the ice and needed to be helped off. Head coach Peter Laviolette later confirmed that the fall in practice was, unfortunately, directly tied to his previous injury.

After that, the possibility of a return this season for Chytil seemed pretty much gone, and now that’s confirmed to be the case.

While this is a devastating blow for the Rangers, who now desperately need another quality center, what matters most is Chytil’s long-term health. This is particularly sad because Chytil was beginning to blossom into an excellent player, and his career seemed poised to take off. But his overall qualify of life is more important. Let’s hope he heals and can, at the very least, live a normal, happy life.