Jaroslav Chmelar Making the Most of Chance With NY Rangers

The New York Rangers are receiving solid contributions from Jaroslav Chmelar.

Nov 9, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The New York Rangers forward Jaroslav Chmelar (49) celebrates a goal scored during the second period against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers have been cycling through forwards on their fourth line all season long.

Some of that is out of necessity, such as center Joe Veleno suffering an injury. His absence has been felt, leading to a host of players trying to fill that void, including Cole Beaudoin, Justin Dowling, Luke Glendening and even winger Will Cuylle being deployed down the middle.

Along with the constant changes at center, head coach Mike Sullivan has been looking for the correct wingers to fill out the bottom-six. Tye Kartyewill, who began the season as the No. 4 left winger, is now on the second line. That has pushed Gabe Perreault into a middle-six role at times and Eeli Tolvanen into the bottom six.

Finding a consistent option at right wing has been more challenging. Matt Rempe was in the lineup opening night; Jaroslav Chmelar got a shot after that but was optioned to the Hartford Wolf Pack. Now back again with the Rangers, he is making the most out of his latest opportunity.

Jarslav Chmelar making immediate impact for Rangers

Sep 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers forward Jaroslav Chmelar (49) during the game against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I took a lot of time to think about that when I was in Hartford,” Chmelar said, via Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic (subscription required). “I was on a mission to find my game and play to my strengths, and I think I brought that back up here.”

In his first stint with New York to begin the season, Chmelar appeared in seven games and didn’t make much of an impact. He didn’t record a single point and had a plus/minus of -2.

However, in the four games since coming back, his performance has been much stronger. In the team’s latest game against the Edmonton Oilers, he was on the ice for only 6:44 total minutes, but he was the only player to score on Devon Levi, who stopped 30 out of the 31 shots he faced in a 3-1 finish.

A SHORT-HANDED BREAKAWAY 😤 pic.twitter.com/vnxYLkN8Pe

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 10, 2026

Chmelar’s goal was of the short-handed variety, breaking out of the penalty box as Mika Zibanejad got control of the puck and fired a long pass to him. It is the second consecutive game he has scored in, as he also lit the lamp in the first game of the road trip against the Seattle Kraken.

Four-line performance and production up and down the lineup is something that Sullivan has been seeking all season long. Chmelar is now starting to provide just that, with two goals in as many games despite receiving a combined 16:33 of ice time.

While the goals are what people will pay the most attention to, he is making an impact in other areas of the game with five hits and one blocked shot. He is quickly turning into a reliable fourth-line option for Sullivan to rely on and should receive plenty of opportunities moving forward.