The Rangers got useful looks from two young wingers last season, and both Jaroslav Chmelar and Adam Sykora now look like candidates to matter in the bottom six. New York’s stars were uneven or sidelined for stretches, but the second half brought better team play and some real energy from younger players. Chmelar and Sykora were part of that wave, and each did enough to suggest a role this season.
Chmelar’s path has been a steady climb. New York took him in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, and after two seasons at Providence College, he turned pro.
At Providence, he put up seven goals and six assists in 33 games in 2022-23, then followed that with five goals and 10 assists in 2023-24. The 6-foot-4, 226-pound winger then signed his entry-level deal and produced 12 goals and 17 assists in 71 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack in 2024-25.
He opened last season back in Hartford and took another step offensively, posting eight goals and 17 assists in 46 games. That earned him a look with the Rangers, where his ice time was limited on the fourth line, but his game was hard to miss.
He forechecked with purpose, played a heavy style, and kept finding his way to the blue paint. After three separate stints between New York and the AHL, he finally locked into the Rangers’ lineup in March.
His first game back made the point quickly. On March 5, in a 6-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chmelar scored his first NHL goal by stealing the puck and finishing a deke on a breakaway.
From there, he kept carving out chances by tipping point shots, screening goalies, and grinding for rebounds around the net. He ended with four goals, two assists, and 53 hits in 28 games while averaging 9:09 of ice time.
What stands out is how much he gave the Rangers without getting reckless. Chmelar brought the kind of toughness and grit that plays on a fourth line, and he did it while avoiding unnecessary penalties. With his size and strength, he was effective in the offensive zone, and that could keep him in the mix.
Sykora took a different route to the same conversation. The Rangers selected him late in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft, and after spending a few seasons in Slovakia, he signed his entry-level contract and briefly appeared with Hartford in 2022-23. He then settled into the AHL for the next two seasons, finishing with eight goals and 15 assists in 66 games in 2023-24, then nine goals and 21 assists in 71 games in 2024-25.
Last season, he spent most of his time in Hartford and produced 12 goals and 17 assists in 62 games before getting his call to New York in March. He made that opportunity count.
In his second game, he scored on a wrist shot during a two-on-one in a 6-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on March 27. The next game, he redirected a puck home for a third-period goal that put the Rangers ahead 1-0 in a 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers on March 29.
At 5-foot-11 and 193 pounds, Sykora is smaller than Chmelar, but he brought the same kind of edge. He attacked the forecheck with speed, forced turnovers, and used that quickness to get back defensively and make plays in his own end. In 11 games, he finished with three goals, one assist, and 20 hits while averaging 11:10 per game.
That gives the Rangers something to work with as they shape their 2026-27 forward group. They added Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand this offseason, but they still need production throughout the lineup.
They also signed Joe Veleno, a defensive-minded fourth-line center, and Chmelar and Sykora can fit beside him on that line. Both players have the speed and bite to help if they carry over what they showed last season.
In Other News...
Rangers Fans Have A New Chris Drury Trade Debate
Vincent Trochecks name is back in the mix around the Rangers, even if the move itself is already in the past. According to a report on The Athletic Hockey Show, New York got trade interest for the veteran center last season, but the offers did not line up with Chris Drurys expectations at the time. Trocheck was eventually dealt to Utah for defenseman Sean Durzi, center prospect Cole Beaudoin and a 2027 third-round pick, giving the Rangers a return that at least helped explain why the front office stayed patient.
The part now stirring the debate is what New York may have passed on before settling on that package. One rumored Minnesota proposal reportedly featured Charlie Stramel and a first-round pick, but the rest of the discussion has not been confirmed, and the finer points of the talks remain unclear. For Rangers fans, it is the kind of hindsight question Drury invites every time he holds firm on value: was the market really too light, or did the club leave something more intriguing on the table? [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Blue-Line Upgrades Come With One Long-Term Question
The Rangers spent the offseason giving their blue line a different look, bringing in Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi in separate trades to stabilize the second pair. Both additions fit the immediate need for more experience and structure on the back end, and both are expected to factor prominently when the season opens.
The longer view is less settled. Pettersson arrives as a 30-year-old veteran who could eventually slide into a third-pair role if younger defensemen keep pushing, while Durzi gives New York a more flexible option whose place in the picture may not be as fixed down the line. For now, the pair solves an obvious roster need, but the Rangers are still sorting out what each move means once the present tense gives way to the years ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Former Rangers Fan Favorite Just Took An Unexpected Career Turn
Kevin Hayes is heading for a new chapter overseas after a long NHL run that included a memorable stretch in New York. The veteran center spent 12 seasons in the league and was most recently with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he appeared in 28 games last season before his career path took an unexpected turn.
For Rangers fans, Hayes is still remembered as one of the more popular players from his time on Broadway, when he spent five seasons with the club and became a reliable presence in the lineup. Now, with a move to the KHL on the horizon, his next stop will be far from the familiar NHL spotlight. [Read more 🡒]