All signs point toward Filip Chytil being activated off injured reserve and returning to the Rangers’ lineup Tuesday against the Canadiens.
Chytil, who has been sidelined the past three games with an undisclosed upper-body injury, skated by himself on Monday while the rest of the Rangers had the day off, The Post’s Larry Brooks reported. Plus, the Rangers sent center Greg McKegg back to AHL Hartford on Monday, presumably to make room for Chytil on the 23-man roster.
Early in the Rangers’ 6-0 loss to the Flames on Nov. 6, Chytil crashed into linemate Sammy Blais at center ice and went down hard. Blais, who was injured in Sunday’s win over the Devils after defenseman PK Subban took the winger down in the corner, came out of the collision unscathed — but Chytil was dazed and showed signs of a potential concussion.
Chytil, who has two goals and an assist in 12 games, will likely slot back in his usual third-line center role.
Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko showed promising flashes of what the Rangers could look like when the franchise’s highest draft picks in over five decades are going at the same time.
Kakko — who had been searching for his first point of the season — notched a goal and an assist, in addition to a crucial shootout goal, in the win, while Lafreniere snapped a six-game pointless streak and fourth-line demotion with a goal in a 4-3 shootout win over the Devils on Sunday at the Garden.
There’s something to be said about the poise with which Lafreniere and Kakko have handled the challenge of rising to the expectations that come with being first- and second-overall draft picks, respectively. Though it appears they’ve had some guidance from the Rangers’ veterans.
“They talk to us, for sure, a lot,” Lafreniere said. “We have a lot of great leaders that have been playing for a long time. Every time we have a question, they’re always there to help us and it’s really good for young players to be able to learn from great leaders.”
Lafreniere named Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin as players he has turned to the most.
“They’re all unreal players and they’re all good offensive players,” he said. “They are guys that I [watch] every day and try to see what they do and try to pick their brain a little bit.”