Perreault and Othmann need top 9 minutes or these recalls are useless

Now that the dust has settled on the roster yesterday, it’s time to look forward to what the recalls of Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann could mean for the Rangers. But even before we can do that, we have to acknowledge the elephant in the room: Both Perreault and Othmann need top-9 minutes or these recalls are pointless. These are your two most skilled prospects who fill an immediate need at the NHL level. The Rangers can’t score goals, and both Perreault and Othmann can. To have an impact, they need the right minutes.

I’ve been reading the responses to yesterday’s recall news and I have to admit I’m disappointed at how many people just don’t read what’s in the actual message.

Again, making room for Perreault and Othmann by sending both Jaroslav Chmelar and Brett Berard back to the AHL had absolutely nothing to do with the coaching staff and their desire to play the kids. Waivers require a 24-hour period to be processed. If the Rangers waived, say, Taylor Raddysh, he wouldn’t be released/claimed until 2pm today. That wouldn’t be enough time to get from Hartford to St. Louis in time for tonight’s game. The movements had to come from players who did not require waivers.

With that knowledge, it’s safe to assume that Mike Sullivan has no qualms about playing the kids. It’s about who’s ready and who can hold on. Brett Berard looked great, but he had no points in 11 games and the Rangers need offense. So in theory, Othmann can slide right into his spot on the third line, along with Will Cuylle and Noah Laba. Both Cuylle and Laba can create space for Othmann, who can hopefully find open ice with the puck and use his great shot to give that line an offensive jolt.

Othmann’s future is uncertain at best, as he didn’t even play in his last recall and this one seems somewhat forced. This is really his last chance in New York, so he has to step up. In his previous stints over the past two years, he hasn’t done enough to show that he belongs. The biggest detractor is his hesitation to shoot the puck. It’s his only elite skill, and he needs to use it.

As for Perreault, he will obviously replace Conor Sheary in the top six. Those who already find this bleak and dreary seem to forget that the last time he was awake, the exact same thing happened. Sheary was a placeholder on the second line due to both the composition of the roster and the underperformance of other players – Will Cuylle – in the same role. It’s better that a 12/13F like Sheary is a placeholder than a kid being set up to be part of the next wave of youth. Allow Cuylle to grow and adapt while Sheary temporarily closes a gap.

The top six will likely return to what we saw before the Vancouver game, only with Perreault instead of Sheary. So I would go with Panarin-Zibanejad-Lafreniere and Perreault-Trocheck-Miller as the top six. This gives Perreault two linemates who will create space for him again. The big question for Perreault is his strength. He got a body a little too easily in his last recall, which is the main reason he was transferred to Hartford. The kid has the skill and intelligence to stay in the NHL. He just had to work on strength. For what it’s worth, it takes a while to build strength.

As of this writing, I am confident that Sully will cast the kids in these roles, or at least in the top nine. This isn’t Peter Laviolette or Gerard Gallant. Sully seems to know what most fans are finally figuring out: this is not the year for the Rangers. This is a transition year. The children will play. But if they don’t, it’s a major indictment on Sully, Chris Drury and the Rangers organization as a whole. They need to play, otherwise these callbacks are just fan service.