Peter Laviolette Explains Why He Sent Brennan Othmann Down To AHL

Going into training camp there were high hopes for Brennan Othmann to make the New York Rangers’ opening night roster.

Between rookie camp, playing every preseason game and getting an ample amount of reps at training camp, Othmann had plenty of time to showcase his skills.

However, through all of that, the 22-year-old was still unable to make it past the final wave of roster cuts. Why didn’t Othmann make the team?

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette spoke about his reasoning for sending Othmann down following practice on Sunday.

While he was happy with what he saw from Othmann, for Laviolette there is just one more step that he believes the young prospect needs to take.

“I thought he had a good camp,” Laviolette said. “There were games where I thought he was noticeable. With regard to becoming a regular, just finding that consistency. I think when you are a young player, that consistency inside of your game is something that needs to be worked on. He came in great shape, that was good. He had some good moments, that was good too. The fact that he can play both sides is a positive.

“At the end of the day from a development standpoint I think going down there and taking on the minutes and playing more in every situation is going to help him to get back to this level. I think just finding that consistency inside of his game.”

Laviolette is right. Othmann showed flashes of his high potential, but he just didn’t do it at a consistent level, ultimately leading to being sent down.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for Othmann. He now gets to play a large role with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL as opposed to serving a bottom-six role with the Rangers.

Othmann is coming off of a season in Hartford where he recorded 21 goals, 28 assists and 49 points in 67 games, so he can build off of that positive momentum.