Trade Rumors Swirl as Brennan Othmann Struggles to Find His Place in the Rangers’ Plans

With the New York Rangers several games into the 2025-26 season, the foremost headline is that the team has failed to score in three consecutive games at home. There were multiple reasons for the team's offensive woes, from bad puck luck to injuries sustained by key players in the lineup. The latter has resulted in the promotion of two players from the Hartford Wolf Pack, with both Morrow and Mackey being called up to replenish the team's depth as they're now struggling to fill roster spots.

One noticeable name not in the mix of things for a spot in the NHL is their former 2021 first round pick, Brennan Othmann. This year's training camp and preseason was a disappointing one for the Rangers prospect. And, with the clock is ticking on the winger's development, questions are starting to pop up as to whether or not Othmann has what it takes to become an effective NHL player.

This is not a new story. Othmann has continued to fall further down the depth chart, now likely behind both Brett Berard and Gabe Perreault. And it's hard to envision a clear path to the Rangers now for the pesky winger.

Whether this was the driving factor for the new rumors surrounding Othmann remains to be seen, but earlier today Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported there was interest from multiple NHL clubs in potentially acquiring the Rangers' prospect.

This year Othmann played in four preseason games and registered one goal. His play was a mixed bag. At first he looked very out of place and was outplayed by several other prospects in camp. But by the end, he was looking a little more comfortable and was able to get on the scoresheet. After being assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack, he's played in one game and registered one assist.

Having been leapfrogged by several other prospects, it's unclear whether Othmann has a real future in the Rangers organization. A lot of people believe a fresh start elsewhere is what the fiery winger could need to realize his potential.

This is where Friedman's report comes into play.

Regardless whether he stays or goes elsewhere, Othmann needs to get back to his game and put the puck in the net while agitating his opponents. Not all prospects develop in a linear fashion, there are plenty of examples of impact players that take a longer time to pan out, but in the Rangers' current environment, he may not be awarded that time.

It's uncertain what an Othmann trade would look like. It could easily be change-of-scenery deal, a swap for another struggling prospect, or even just recouping a draft pick. His first round pedigree, however, is a bit muddied with his lack of progress. So if the Rangers do move him and look for a pick, probably at best they'd be receiving a second round pick in return.