The lingering feeling that followed Jaroslav Chmelar from the Rangers back to AHL Hartford gnawed at him.
He tried not to think about it too much — he did have AHL games to play, after all, to try and earn another call-up — in the moment, but Chmelar wasn’t thrilled with how his four-game stint with the Blueshirts went in December.
He’d still been nervous.
Before that, the Rangers’ fifth-round pick in 2021 had appeared in just two NHL games since signing out of Providence College. Those cameos were entirely different from anything he experienced with the Wolf Pack. So Chmelar reset his mindset.
He used his frustration — and the thinking that he could’ve given more — as fuel and motivation.
After a third chance arrived two weeks ago, right before the trade deadline, Chmelar became a piece that head coach Mike Sullivan publicly stated he didn’t want to take out of the Rangers’ lineup.
The 6-foot-4, 226-pound winger has carved out a physical role on the fourth line while flashing glimpses of a scoring touch, too. He tallied his first goal March 5. He added another one Friday and nearly a third Monday, missing a chance near the net that ultimately turned into a learning moment.
And most of all, Chmelar and Sullivan both said, the game has started to slow down for him.
“When I got this [call-up], I was like, I gotta put more on the line,” Chmelar told The Post after the Rangers’ morning skate Wednesday before their game against the Devils at the Garden. “Be everywhere. The one step ahead. Give a little more effort to be happy with my game, and I’m glad it’s showing.”
With Chmelar adjusting to the speed of the NHL level, that has allowed him to play with more pace, Sullivan said.
One layer of that revolves around anticipation. Another includes “physical foot speed,” Sullivan added.
Midway through the second period against the Wild on Friday, Chmelar finished his check along the boards as Minnesota cleared the puck, and moments later, following a turnover in the neutral zone, he ended up on a breakaway — shifting the puck to his backhand and flipping it into the net.
Chmelar’s ice time has still been limited, given his lack of a penalty-killing role. He only topped 10 minutes in a game once. But his role in Hartford — where he collected 25 points across 46 games, with both on pace to shatter his AHL-bests in a full season — paired with his recent Rangers impression has given Chmelar a foundation to build on during the offseason, with roster spots and roles available on a retooling team.
“When he finishes checks, he can create anxiety,” Sullivan said. “He can unnerve the opponent.”
There are still plenty of areas for growth. Chmelar noticed that he’ll rush into trying to make a play on offense instead of taking a breath, making one more move and then attempting something with the puck. That happened again Monday, when he ended up with a bouncing puck near the post but watched as it hit his stick’s heel and went wide of an open net.
“I think I could’ve waited there for a little bit,” Chmelar said. “I thought I had more pressure on myself than I had, and yeah, I mean, to be honest, I was pissed. … That haunts me a little bit, but I gotta put it behind, and hopefully the next one can go in.”
Chmelar planned to dive into plenty of video this upcoming offseason, preparing for any situation he ends up in next year. He wants to seek out advice from NHL players. There’s more to develop with maximizing his size, too, he said.
That, always, will remain at the crux of his skill set. It’s what allowed that goal in Minnesota, placing him in the right place at the right juncture. It’s what allowed him to secure a place in Sullivan’s lineup. And if he can add strength, Chmelar knows that’ll only make it more difficult for opposing defensemen.
“I think they gotta know that I’m coming, pretty much,” Chmelar said.
