NY Rangers Youngster Hyper-Focused on Summer Work To Make Team

A young New York Rangers player has no intentions of being back with the Hartford Wolf Pack next season.

Apr 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Jaroslav Chmelar (49) celebrates his goal against the Detroit Red Wings during the first period at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers look like they are going to have some roles up for grabs on their team for the 2026-27 season heading into the summer.

President and general manager Chris Drury will assuredly be looking outside of the organization for upgrades, but some intriguing young pieces emerged down the stretch of the 2025-26 campaign that will factor into the mix as well.

One of those players is Jaroslav Chmelar. A fifth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, he forced his way into the lineup with the Rangers with productive play in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack.

It was an impressive jump by the young winger, who wasn’t in the team’s plans going into the year but ended up playing in 22 straight games to end the season, playing in 28 NHL games total this past year.

Jaroslav Chmelar moviated to make Rangers lineup

Apr 2, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Jaroslav Chmelar (49) at Madison Square Garden. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Alas, he isn’t resting on his laurels. It was nice to get a taste of playing at the highest level, but Chmelar wants to do everything in his power to ensure that he is a permanent fixture on the roster moving forward.

“I’m as hungry as I’ve ever been,” he said via Peter Baugh and Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic (subscription required). “I’m gonna put a lot of things on my vision board in the summer, and hopefully it will come true. I’m gonna work my ass off to get (back) here next year.”

His statistics certainly don’t jump off the page. In his 28 games, he recorded only six points, scoring four goals with two assists while recording a plus/minus rating of minus-2.

However, he does a lot that may not show up in the box score, but the coaching staff likes to see. Trust and confidence from head coach Mike Sullivan grew as the season moved along, and rightfully so, with some of his underlying statistics and metrics standing out.

Krátce po triumfu osmnáctky v duelu o bronz dává premiérový gól v seniorském národním týmu Jaroslav Chmelař! 🎯#ceskyhokej #narodnitym #FortunaHockeyGames pic.twitter.com/nwTcK1oMGd

— Český hokej (@czehockey) May 2, 2026

Measuring in at 6-foot-4 and 226 pounds, he has an impressive blend of size, strength and speed. According to NHL Edge, his max skating speed of 23.35 mph was in the 91st percentile. He is also willing to do the dirty work to help his team get an edge, whether that is along the walls or on the forecheck.

According to Natural Stat Trick, the 50.41% expected goals-for rate that Chmelar produced was the best mark amongst New York rookies, making him a trusted bottom-six option for Sullivan already.

After so many years of struggling to develop young talent, the Rangers look to be turning a corner in that department and hope to continue it after firing Jed Ortmeyer and hiring Tanner Glass to take his place as the director of player development.