The Clock Is Ticking on Brennan Othmann

Sometimes hockey, like life, just isn't fair.

In the case of Brennan Othmann, that seems to ring true.

We're just two preseason games into the season, but a lot of things have already not gone right for Othmann. And if you add in last year, well, it's not adding up well at all. It's looking increasingly likely that Conor Sheary has more than a punchers chance to make the team. And even if he doesn't, Brett Berard seems far more suited for the role Mike Sullivan is looking for out of the third line. Gabe Perreault has been immensely impressive in his two preseason games as well, and we haven't even mentioned the ascension of Noah Laba. With Will Cuylle seemingly assured a top-six wing spot, the only readily available roles we're looking at for most forwards out of camp are on the bottom six.

Othmann's career has been marred with bad luck. Selected 16th overall in 2021, Othmann had an incredible 50-goal season (in 66 games) for Flint (OHL) and a great World Juniors showing his post-draft year.

The problems started from there.

Due to an age restriction rule, Othmann was not permitted to play in the AHL in his D+2 season, forcing him to spend another year in the OHL where he was massively overqualified. It did nothing for his development, and if anything, he took a step back.

He had an impressive rookie year in Hartford two years ago, posting 49 points in 61 games. Injury opportunities with the big club tended to open up around when Othmann was himself injured, not permitting him to get a few cups of NHL coffee earlier in his AHL tenure. Othmann's second year in the AHL was another step back, amassing only 20 points in 27 games in Hartford before putting up just two assists in 22 NHL games with the disaster that was the 2024-25 New York Rangers.

Let's stop here for a second and get one thing out of the way.