Filip Chytil: 'I'm a center'; plus NY Rangers projected lineup for Friday

TARRYTOWN - If it's up to Filip Chytil, any discussions about him playing wing will cease this season.

"I'm a center, and I want to play center," he said following Thursday's practice at the MSG Training Center. "If coach puts me on the wing, I will play there. But, for me, center is my main position and I want to stay there."

Even though he just turned 22, Chytil is preparing to appear in his fifth NHL season — and he remains adamant about sticking in the middle.

There have been many flashes of the talent that drew the New York Rangers to him with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, but they're still waiting for a full-on breakout season.

They believed they were witnessing it last season, right up until the Czech forward suffered a broken hand in the fifth game.

It cost him 14 games, during which time he contracted COVID-19, and it took him just as much time to feel like himself again after he did return.

"That was my first injury like this," Chytil said. "I was expecting to get back to where I started, but you can't start like that after missing six, seven weeks. I had like a week of practicing, so I was a little frustrated the month after."

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After posting three points in his first four games, Chytil managed only 19 in his final 38. March, in particular, was a rough month, but he played better — and scored more — from April through the end of the season.

His skill-and-speed combination — a common debate around the Rangers is whether Chytil or Chris Kreider is the fastest player on the team — remains enticing. But questions about the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder sticking at center stem from defensive and face-off concerns.

"Everybody wants to be the Patrice Bergeron type of player," Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said Friday. "That's what you'd love to see from your centers, but not everybody is going to be Patrice Bergeron, obviously. So, just play a good, solid two-way game, get better on face-offs, get better every game you play, and hopefully Fil's going to keep doing that."

Chytil's defense was improved in 2020-21 — his 2.22 expected-goals against per 60 was the best of his career, according to Evolving Hockey — but his face-off win rate was just 42.8%.

The hand certainly could have affected that, but it was actually an improvement from his career face-off percentage of 39.6%.

"It’s about experience, it’s about strength, it’s about how smart you are," Chytil said. "When you put all those things together, you can be the best on face-offs. For me, I’m getting stronger. I think I have good technique, but sometimes that experience against old players is harder to play against."

He mentioned that he'll use more of a forehand swipe this season, as opposed to the backhanded technique that's most common around the league.

Gallant said, "I like where he's at right now" in terms of his overall game, while insisting that Chytil will be provided "an opportunity to get better" on face-offs. But if he falters, the coach always has the option of using newly signed forward Barclay Goodrow for important draws.

The two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who has lined up next to Chytil throughout training camp, has a career face-off win rate of 52%.

Goodrow didn't get much time to play with Chytil in their first preseason game Sunday after drawing a game misconduct at the 13:49 mark of the first period, but they'll get another chance at 7 p.m. Friday in New Jersey against the Devils. Gallant likes them on the same line, not just for face-offs, but for the overall influence that the veteran can have on young players like Chytil and Vitali Kravtsov.

"Goodrow is going to push them to be better players," Gallant said. "He’s going to talk to them every shift about doing the right things with the puck and putting them in the right situations. It’s not all about offense."

How to watch Friday's game

As of midnight Friday, Comcast dropped MSG Networks due to an ongoing dispute.

That means that Comcast Xfinity subscribers, primarily in the New Jersey and Connecticut area, won't be able to watch most Rangers and Devils games through their cable provider. For the Rangers, 69 of their 82 regular-season games are scheduled to air on MSG Networks.

For fans interested in learning about other options, you can visit keepmsg.com or call 1-800-KEEP-MSG. Other provider options include FUBO TV, Verizon Fios, DirecTV and DirecTV Stream.

NY Rangers projected preseason lineup vs. New Jersey Devils

When: Friay, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.

Where: Prudential Center in Newark

TV: MSG Networks

Forwards

First line → Chris Kreider (LW) • Mika Zibanejad (C) • Vitali Kravtsov (RW)

Second line → Barclay Goodrow (LW) • Filip Chytil (C) • Julien Gauthier (RW)

Third line → Dryden Hunt (LW) • Greg McKegg (C) • Sammy Blais (RW)

Fourth line → Mason Geersten (LW) • Morgan Barron (C) • Lauri Pajuniemi (RW)

Defense

Top pair → K'Andre Miller (L) • Jacob Trouba (R)

Second pair → Jarred Tinordi (L) • Nils Lundkvist (R)

Third pair → Zac Jones (L) • Braden Schneider (R)

Goalies

Starter → Igor Shesterkin

Backup → Adam Huska

NOTE: This lineup is subject to change

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.