Jaroslav Chmelar looks like a different player now that he’s back with the Rangers, and Monday’s loss to Edmonton gave him another chance to show it.
The 23-year-old forward scored for the second straight game in New York’s 3-1 defeat, and he said the reset in Hartford helped him find his footing again.
“100 percent,” Chmelar said postgame Monday after he scored in a second straight contest. “I took a lot of time to think about that when I was in Hartford. I was on a mission to find my game and play to my strengths, and I think I brought that back up here.”
His ice time was limited - just 6:46 in a game where the Rangers spent plenty of time killing penalties and chasing the first-place Oilers from the opening period - but Chmelar still found ways to matter. His biggest moment came shorthanded, and in a pretty wild way.
After serving a bench minor for a failed challenge of an Oilers goal by coach Mike Sullivan, Chmelar stepped out of the box during a 3-on-5 penalty kill created by a Braden Schneider delay of game penalty. At 4-on-5, he took a stretch pass from Mika Zibanejad and finished the breakaway for his first NHL short-handed goal.
That goal showed off exactly what Chmelar can bring when he’s playing with conviction: speed, size, and a little bit of punch.
Sullivan gave him another look minutes later on the second power-play unit, and Chmelar made that shift count too. He helped lead a clean zone entry, made a sharp pass, and then drove to the net for a quick putback chance after Adam Fox’s shot was turned aside by Oilers goalie Devon Levi.
What stood out most was the edge in his game. He was physical, confident, and far more assertive than the tentative version of himself that went scoreless and largely quiet in his first seven NHL games before being sent down.
In Hartford, Chmelar played bigger minutes and got more responsibility. In seven games there, he posted four points - two goals and two assists - and fired 21 shots on goal.
That version of him has carried over since his recall. In four games back with the Rangers, he’s already scored in consecutive contests for the first time in his brief NHL career.
“I’ve got to play to my identity, use my size (6-foot-5, 238 pounds) to be physical on guys so that they don’t want to come back for pucks. I think overall that helps out team.”
New York also continues to sort through the rest of its roster picture. Rookie defenseman Alberts Smits is week to week with an upper-body injury, Marc Del Gaizo has been recalled from AHL Hartford, and Joonas Korpisalo is back on the roster after missing a month with a foot infection.
Around the league, Winnipeg Jets coach Scott Arniel took a shot at Connor Hellebuyck on Monday before the goalie returns to Winnipeg with the New Jersey Devils for a game he won’t even play in Tuesday. The Devils’ 13-5-0 start is drawing attention, though James Nichols noted it’s not the same as last season’s 13-4-1 mark after 18 games.
Elsewhere, the Blackhawks are not planning to fire Jeff Blashill despite their 4-13-1 start, Jack Roslovic is out with a lower-body injury in Toronto, Carey Price, Patrice Bergeron, and Pekka Rinne were among the names honored at the Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremonies for the Class of 2026, Connor Garland is out indefinitely for Columbus, Ridly Greig expects to return for Ottawa against Washington on Tuesday, the Sharks beat the Islanders 3-2 in an eight-round shootout after a players-only meeting, and the Stars claimed Remi Poirier off waivers.
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What makes this start so notable is how much production he has managed to pile up while skating mostly on the fourth line. That kind of return changes the conversation around a player fast, especially for a team that has to weigh lineup fit against the possibility of keeping him around beyond this season. The Rangers do not need to rush a decision, but Bjorkstrand is making it harder to treat this as a simple short-term add. [Read more 🡒]
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Former Rangers Forward Hits Trouble During His Best Scoring Run
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Roslovics recent run hit a snag when he missed a game because of a lower-body injury, and the issue came on the heels of a seven-game point streak ending in a loss to the Canadiens. Toronto has leaned on him heavily even as he has dealt with nagging injuries, and his absence against the Devils only underscored how important he has become to the lineup. The bigger question now is how long the Maple Leafs can keep getting by without one of their most efficient finishers if this keeps lingering. [Read more 🡒]