With the 16th pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Rangers have selected Brennan Othmann from the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
About Brennan Othmann
With one of the best and most NHL-ready shots in the 2021 Draft class, Brennan Othmann has the ability to be a real offensive threat at the NHL level. He’s also developed into a pretty decent playmaker and could serve to be more than a one-dimensional player one day. There’s room for improvement on the defensive side of the game, but there have already been steps in the right direction in that regard. If he can continue to work on his play away from the puck, he could prove to be a very good selection when all is said and done.
THW Prospect Profile Excerpt
“With players looking for opportunities in other leagues, Othmann made the jump to Switzerland playing for EHC Olten. It took a while for him to get used to the senior level but he settled in. In 34 games, he finished in the top-10 in team scoring with seven goals and 16 points as he continued to impress with each game. He added another two points in four playoff games.
Related: THW 2021 NHL Draft Guide
Othmann is an offensive force as he’s classified as having one of the best shots and being one of the top goal scorers in this draft class. The way he angles his body and positioning when he gets his shot off is already at an NHL level. He has great accuracy, his release is lightning quick and he gets a lot of power in his shot when he winds up. He’s always scanning the ice for the open areas just waiting to be teed up for a one-timer. As a result of that vision, he always seems to be in the right spot at the right time.
There isn’t any doubt that if the OHL was playing this season, Othmann would be at the top in goals with his ability to find the back of the net. He can hurt you in more ways than one. He can attack the net on an odd-man rush, making a dash to the net for a tap-in or being the trailer for waiting to unleash a long wrist shot. He’s also capable of being a really great setup man as he can make strong passes and open things up for his teammates. During his rookie season Othmann did a good amount of damage at even strength.”
Full player profile can be found here
How This Affects the Rangers’ Plans
It’s been a busy few offseasons for the Rangers who have made multiple moves to try and accelerate their rebuild and turn themselves into legitimate playoff contenders. While the team would move on from Jeff Gorton and John Davidson following the 2020-21 season, the pieces are still in place for Chris Drury to make a postseason push as early as next season.
Picking up Othmann gives the Rangers another very good prospect to add to a system that’s done a good job at evaluating talent in recent years and adding them via the draft, trades and even free agency. Othmann has one of the best shots in this NHL class and he could become a major part of the Rangers’ roster in just a few years’ time.
Joining Alex Lafreniere, Braden Schneider, Kaapo Kakko, Vitali Kravtsov, Nils Lundkqvist, Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil, Othmann is now the eighth first-round pick of the Rangers since the 2017 Draft. With the exception of Andersson who is no longer with the team, the hope is that the rest of the players from these classes can make an impact one day.
Brandon Share-Cohen has covered the NHL and various professional sports for six years. Working with The Hockey Writers, Brandon works extensively on covering the Boston Bruins in addition to his role as the News Team Lead.