Prepare for a week of nightly hockey. The New York Rangers’ first west coast road trip of the season kicks off tonight in the Pacific Northwest as the Blueshirts make the trip to Climate Pledge Arena for a matchup with the Seattle Kraken. Seattle will be the first stop in a four-game swing that will also see Peter Laviolette’s squad tour Western Canada, with all four games starting at 9 or 10 PM Eastern Time.

While the Rangers are away from home for a week, the biggest storyline of the trip will be the absence of Filip Chytil. The blossoming star suffered another “upper body injury” on Thursday, and given Chytil’s history of concussions and New York’s lack of clarity about his future status, it doesn’t take a detective to figure out why Chytil will miss this road trip. Jonny Brodzinski is expected to move to the third line to take Chytil’s spot, and Jake Leschyshyn has been recalled from AHL Hartford to serve as a backup forward for the time being.

Player to watch: Jonny Brodzinski

With Chytil sidelined, Brodzinski will be tasked with filling Chytil’s spot between Kaapo Kakko and Will Cuylle. Brodzinski spent time in the top nine last season, but his effectiveness waned as the season progressed and he was ultimately removed from that rotation in the latter stages of the season. Keep an eye on Brodzinski tonight as he should play more minutes than usual.

Enjoy the game!