New York Rangers star Filip Chytil is leaving the team.

The New York Rangers have to be very concerned about the health and well being of former first round pick Filip Chytil.

The latest update on Chytil, who has been out of action since early November, would appear to point to a significant setback in the young forwards recovery and one that raises real questions about his future in the National Hockey League and in the sport of hockey.

Chytil has been out of action since November 2nd with what is believed to be a concussion, and on Friday Rangers insider Larry Brooks revealed that Chytil is on the verge of leaving the team. According to Brooks, Chytil has already left the team and is likely back home in Czechia with the insider revealing that he was set to head home on Friday night.

From Brooks:

Filip Chytil is returning to his home in Czechia for an indeterminate period in the next step of his recovery from the suspected concussion he sustained on Nov. 2, The Post has learned.

There are two big areas of concern here for Chytil, with the first being his injury history. This is believed to be the fourth concussion that Chytil has suffered in his 6 year NHL career, and with him sidelined for so long you have to wonder about the long term impacts that could have on his health.

The other area that appears concerning from the outside looking in is the fact that the source of the injury appeared to be a relatively normal play. Chytil was injured after colliding with Carolina Hurricanes forward Jesper Fast at center ice, not a particularly violent collision and not one where his head was targeted either.

That such an innocent looking play could potentially sideline Chytil for a significant portion of the season has to be a big concern for the Rangers who signed him to a 4 year contract that carries an average annual value and cap hit of $4.437 million per season just this past March.

Brooks reports that Chytil is committed to returning this year, although whether or not that is realistic remains to be seen. Even if Chytil does return, there will be real concerns about what will happen the next time he is on the receiving end of a big hit.