Rangers confirm Filip Chytil will recover at home in Czechia: ‘Different avenue’

TAMPA, Fla. — Head coach Peter Laviolette confirmed The Post’s report that Filip Chytil is to return home to Czechia as the next step in his recovery from a suspected concussion, noting that the Rangers are trying a different approach to usher the 24-year-old center along. 

“Fil is progressing slowly,” Laviolette said before the Blueshirts took on the Lightning on Saturday night at Amalie Arena. “It’s an opportunity for him to head home, reset, continue to move forward. When he comes back, we’ll welcome him back with open arms. I think just from the progression standpoint, things not moving quick, it was just a different avenue to try and push things along.” 

Chytil missed his 25th straight game Saturday night, but The Post’s Larry Brooks reported that the 21st-overall pick in 2017 is committed to returning to this season. 

While he’s been skating for a bit, there’s no official timeline on Chytil’s return from long-term injured reserve.

Now that he’s leaving the country, it’s safe to assume Chytil won’t be back in the lineup for at least another month. 

There’s always a possibility Chytil doesn’t return until the playoffs, or at all this season. 

“I think we’re hopeful that he will be back,” Laviolette said. “Just where things were at here, we’re just trying a different approach, different avenue. This is more of just a reset to go home and take a different look at it.” 

As for Kaapo Kakko, who missed his 15th straight game while on LTIR as well, Laviolette didn’t have much of an update. 

“He’s on the ice,” He said. “He’s moving forward. He hasn’t been out there with us yet.” 

Just over a year ago, ex-Rangers coach Gerard Gallant scratched Alexis Lafreniere from the Dec. 29, 2022, matchup with the Lightning. 

“It’s been all positive, that’s all I know,” Laviolette said of Lafreniere, who has 10 goals and 10 assists through 34 games. “He works hard. He’s really playing with confidence and he’s contributing on the [second] line. They generate a lot of chances, they feed off of each other and they read off of each other. They work consistently to make that happen.

“My dealings with him have been all positive.”