Filip Chytil said his impending restricted free agency wasn’t on his mind this season, but now that the Rangers have taken care of it with a new four-year extension worth $17.75 million, the center can just focus on his game and the upcoming playoffs.
That is a bonus for both the Rangers and Chytil, who played a major role in the club’s run to the conference final with seven goals and two assists in 20 playoff games last season.
It will be imperative for Chytil to make the same kind of impact this time around.
Getting the financial business out of the way and knowing that he will remain with the team that drafted him No. 21 overall in 2017 should positively affect Chytil’s psyche.
You could see in his ear-to-ear smile Thursday morning just how much it already has.
“That’s what I was focusing [on] the most, staying with this team,” Chytil said before the Rangers fell to the Devils, 2-1, on Thursday night at Prudential Center. “Happy for four more years. I know what player I can be. I see how much progress I make every year. So for me, nothing changes. Keep doing the same things. Keep working hard and just make myself better.”
When Chytil made his NHL debut on Oct. 5, 2017, the then-18-year-old was the youngest player to skate for the Rangers since World War II.
Chytil has skated all 320 games of his NHL career with the Rangers. The Kromeriz, Czech Republic native has grown up in New York.
The Rangers fostered his development and are now reaping the benefits of their organization-grown player.
Chytil had been a 22-23-point player for four straight seasons, over which he often struggled with injuries.
After a head-turning performance in the postseason last year, however, Chytil’s trajectory pointed straight up as he crushed previous career highs in several categories.
His 22 goals, 20 assists and 42 points on the season are all personal bests.
That all came with an increased workload and a more important role, which has included some power-play minutes and more ice time in general.
“I know the production wasn’t there that much the first years,” he said. “But this year, finally, it’s coming along with my game. It’s what I’m saying all the time, it’s about [the] process and about the hard work that I’m putting in. Happy that I can see that hard work pays off.
“It’s not finished. It’s just started for me. Just keep doing what I’m doing.”
Naturally, Chytil is comfortable within the Rangers organization.
It’s all he’s ever known. There’s something to be said about the benefits of remaining with the same team you’ve spent your whole career with.
The familiarity should only allow Chytil to continue what he’s doing: unlocking his full potential.
Locking Chytil up for four more years now not only ensures the Rangers get to find out more about the center’s ceiling, but it was a cap-friendly deal for a player who appears to be just getting started in his career.
Most importantly, Chytil can pour all of himself into rounding out his game in the coming weeks. The Chytil who showed up to the 2021-22 playoffs will be needed again.
“That’s why I wanted to stay here,” Chytil said of being a part of the Rangers. “That was my main focus, to stay here and be part of this team. Being around the guys, we have great team, great chemistry, you have all the people in the club. We have fantastic people. I’m here since I was 18 years old and they’ve helped me so much in my career. They helped me become the player I am.”