jacob battaglia is the prospect return heading to the New York Rangers after the Calgary Flames acquired forward Brennan Othmann on Friday. The move was described as a one-for-one swap, shifting two young forwards between organizations at a moment when New York has acknowledged it must be realistic about its situation. The deal sends Othmann, a former first-round pick, out West as the Rangers continue to pivot toward younger pieces and flexibility.
Trade details: Othmann to Calgary, jacob battaglia to New York
The Calgary Flames acquired Brennan Othmann from the Rangers on Friday, with jacob battaglia identified as the return going back to New York. Othmann is 23 and appeared in 17 games this season for the Rangers, recording one goal. In the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack, he has eight goals and 16 points in 26 games this year.
Othmann is a 6-foot winger in the final season of a three-year entry-level contract with a cap hit of $863, 333, and he is scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Drafted 16th overall by the Rangers in 2021, he has one goal and three points in 42 NHL games, along with 41 goals and 85 points in 120 AHL games.
Why the Rangers moved on from Othmann
The trade follows a stretch in which Othmann struggled to find a steady foothold in New York’s lineup, including time scratched or limited in minutes when he was with the NHL club, and a recent assignment back to the AHL. Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan addressed the decision in blunt terms after the demotion, emphasizing the work still required for Othmann to establish himself at the top level.
“I think there are elements of his game that have to continue to improve in order for him to establish himself as an NHL player, ” Sullivan said of Othmann. “I just think it has been a little bit of an inconsistent game. There have been times when he’s made a positive impact on the game, there have been others when he hasn’t. We’ve talked a lot to him about attention to detail, bringing in a reliable, conscientious game. ”
Sullivan added that if a player is filling a bottom-six role and not producing, the contributions must show up in the reliable details away from the puck.
Who is jacob battaglia and what New York is getting
jacob battaglia is a 19-year-old forward drafted by Calgary in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft. He is playing in Kingston in the OHL and has 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 36 games. For the Rangers, the addition places another young forward into the pipeline as the club resets its approach during a difficult year in the standings.
Immediate reactions from Rangers leadership
Rangers general manager Chris Drury previously framed the organization’s direction as a retool rather than a rebuild, citing the standings position and injuries to key players this season. “With our position in the standings and injuries to key players this season, we must be honest and realistic about our situation, ” Drury wrote before the deadline. “We are not going to stand pat. A shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool the team. ”
Drury added that the focus would be on obtaining young players, draft picks, and cap space to create flexibility moving forward, while targeting players who bring “tenacity, skill, speed, and a winning pedigree. ”
What’s next after the Friday swap
As of 6: 00 p. m. ET on Friday, the trade leaves Calgary integrating Othmann, a winger nearing restricted free agency, while New York adds a 19-year-old OHL forward in jacob battaglia. The next key developments to watch are how quickly Othmann settles into the Flames’ plan and where the Rangers slot jacob battaglia within their prospect track as the retool continues.
