Rangers’ surprise addition now has his own number

Brett Howden made the team and then changed his number.

One of the slight surprises of the Rangers training camp was the 20-year-old Howden cracking the opening night roster, and soon thereafter he switched from No. 48 to No. 21. It was his number all during his junior days, and now he gets to wear it as he takes the ice on Broadway for the regular-season opener Thursday night against the Predators.

“When I made the team they asked me what number I wanted,” Howden said after Tuesday morning’s practice in Westchester. “Twenty-one is my number. Normally when you get to camp, they give you a number. I wasn’t going to go and ask to change. I was just happy to be a part of the team. That’s just an extra bonus, that’s really nice.”

Howden came over as part of the deal that sent Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller to the Lightning in February. He had been one of the top prospects in Tampa Bay’s system, having been taken with the No. 27-overall pick in 2016. But he never cracked the Lightning’s lineup, then was dealt as part of a blockbuster deal.

“It was definitely weird getting traded, especially not being on the team. It’s a different situation than I ever thought,” Howden said. “It was a bit of a shock. But I want to prove that I’m capable of certain things for myself. I’m really thankful for this opportunity I’ve been given.

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“There’s nothing bad to say about Tampa at all. They had to do what they had to do to make a big trade. I’m just really thankful that I’m here.”

So are the Rangers, who watched as Howden edged Lias Andersson for the final center spot on the roster. And if it was a bit surprising to the front office, it was also a bit surprising for Howden.

“It was pretty crazy,” Howden said. “I was thrilled and honored. I was kind of in shock. It’s crazy, you dream of it your whole life and for it to come true is amazing and exciting. I’m really excited and looking forward to Thursday.”

First-year coach David Quinn has obviously liked what he has seen from Howden, and is just hoping that he doesn’t try to do too much in his debut — or going forward.

“That can happen when you get to this level, you want to impress right away,” Quinn said. “They need to evaluate themselves the same way we are, and that’s not always on the stat sheet.”

Coach David Quinn seems to be set in his opening night lineup, and that includes putting impressive rookie center Filip Chytil between responsible wingers Ryan Spooner and Jesper Fast.

Giving Chytil some wingers with defensive awareness was certainly part of the equation.

“There’s a lot that goes into putting lines together,” Quinn said, “and that’s part of the decision-making process.”

It seems like the healthy scratches for Thursday will be forward Cody McLeod and defensemen Fredrik Claesson and Tony DeAngelo.