Filip Chytil will be out the rest of the regular season for the New York Rangers because of an upper-body injury.
The Rangers said the 24-year-old forward had a thorough evaluation after he was helped off the ice at Madison Square Garden on Friday, a setback from the injury that has kept him out of the lineup since early November.
"The organization's top priority throughout this process has been Filip's health, and we will continue to support him in his recovery with an aim to return for the 2024-25 season," the team said in a statement Sunday.
Chytil went down during an optional morning skate before New York's 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Team trainers tended to Chytil, and he was helped off the ice by defenseman Zac Jones and forward Jake Leschyshyn.
Chytil is home in New York. He, Jones and Leschyshyn were the only Rangers players on the ice at the time.
"It's obviously tough," coach Peter Laviolette said after the game Friday. "He's an important piece to our team. He's a good young player for us, so it's tough to see that.”
Chytil practiced with the Rangers on Thursday in a red non-contact jersey. It was the first time he skated with the team since he was injured against the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 2.
That came after he returned to New York from Czechia earlier in the week after going home in late December to continue his rehab and training, with the Rangers calling it at the time a "reset."
"It has been the hardest three months of my life and has not been easy for my family, closest people and of course for whole NY Rangers organization," Chytil said in an Instagram post Sunday. "But we gotta stay postive even in these tough moments and just think what is ahead of us!
"Thanks to you all for nice messages! I'll come back stronger than ever!"
Chytil had six assists in 10 games this season.
NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen contributed to this report
