Less than 24 hours after taking what appeared to be a major step toward reviving his career, Filip Chytil suffered a potentially devastating setback.
While skating Friday morning at Madison Square Garden with two Rangers extras, forward Jake Leschyshyn and defenseman Zac Jones, the 24-year-old center was suddenly spotted down on the ice. Multiple reports suggested that teammates had to help him, although it is unclear exactly how he injured himself in a non-contact environment with only three players on the ice.
Fears of another head injury have apparently come true. A person familiar with the situation told lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, that a medical evaluation determined the latest incident was a setback directly related to the suspected concussion Chytil suffered on March 2. November, which the Rangers have only identified, suffered an upper body injury.
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According to another source, he suffered at least four head injuries in his career, with symptoms worsening each time. Friday's 7 p.m. game against the visiting Vegas Golden Knights will be the 38th straight game he has missed, and the remainder of his season is now very much in doubt.
That would have serious consequences for the Rangers, who would certainly have to use at least some of the $4.4375 million in salary cap space they gained from Chytil's long-term injured reserve to acquire another center before the March 8 trade deadline track. But the much bigger concern within the organization — and around the NHL — is the long-term health of a young man going through a frightening, perhaps career-threatening ordeal.
Chytil, who had six points (all assists) in 10 games before his injury, was given permission to leave the team in late December to “restart” his recovery in his native Czech Republic. He made significant progress in recent weeks – so much so that he returned to New York on Monday and was cleared for non-contact training on Thursday.
That sparked optimism that a return in February was possible, but those plans now need to be recalibrated. This has become a quality of life issue, with hockey taking a back seat.
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more about his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.