Five years ago, the New York Rangers made a franchise-altering move as they signed winger Artemi Panarin to a seven-year, $81.5 million contract in free agency. After an excellent 2018-19 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, many teams wanted to sign the star winger but then-general manager Jeff Gorton was able to get it done. Panarin has had a dramatic impact on the team and helped them move from rebuilding to contending.
Panarin’s Play Has Helped the Rangers Become Contenders
Right away, Panarin made a difference for the Rangers as he produced offensively both at even strength and on the power play. He had 32 goals and 63 assists in 69 games in 2019-20. He did not play with top center Mika Zibanejad but elevated the play of his center, Ryan Strome, who set a career-high with 59 points. In the shortened 2020-21 campaign, he finished with 17 goals and 41 assists in 42 games.
Panarin’s patience with the puck, along with his vision, made him an offensive threat at all times and he also stepped up in big moments. His playmaking dramatically helped his linemates and the fact he did not play on the same line as Zibanejad and Chris Kreider gave the Rangers two very strong lines.
Panarin has finished with more points than games played in all five of his seasons with the Rangers. In 2021-22 he finished with 22 goals and 74 assists in 75 games and helped lead the Blueshirts into the playoffs. He did not have a dominant postseason but provided an incredible moment when he scored an overtime winner in Game 7 of the team’s first-round matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. With time running out on a power play, he wired a wrist shot through traffic, beating Tristan Jarry. He finished with six goals and 10 assists in 20 playoff games.
In 2022-23, Panarin continued his trend of dominant regular-season play and finished with 29 goals and 63 assists while playing in all 82 games. He was excellent on the power play and had nine goals and 27 assists on the man advantage. However, he had a disappointing postseason and looked lost at times as the Rangers lost in seven games to the New Jersey Devils in the first round. He had a lot of giveaways and was indecisive with the puck as he finished with no goals and two assists in the series.
Panarin’s Excellent 2023-24 Season
Panarin responded to his disappointing end to the 2022-23 season by taking his game to another level. He showed improved chemistry with center Vincent Trocheck and looked to shoot the puck more often while continuing to be an elite playmaker. He was fantastic on the point for the power play and helped the Rangers become the NHL’s third-most-successful team on the man advantage at 26.4 per cent efficiency. He had 11 goals and 33 assists on the power play.
Additionally, Panarin got off to a hot start playing with Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere and avoided going through any extended slumps. The line was able to consistently create chances at even strength and spent much more time in the offensive zone than the defensive zone. He shattered his career highs in both goals (49) and points (120.)
Panarin had a better postseason and provided some great moments including a game-winning power-play goal in Game 4 of the Rangers’ first-round matchup with the Washington Capitals. He also scored a clutch overtime goal with a between-the-legs deflection in Game 3 of their second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. He finished with five goals and 10 assists in 16 games but did not reach the level of dominance he did in the regular season. The entire team struggled to generate chances in their Eastern Conference Final matchup with the Florida Panthers and they were eliminated in six games.
For Panarin Moving Forward
The Rangers were still rebuilding when they signed Panarin and he has played a big role in their transition to contending. He has rarely played with Zibanejad, the team’s top center, and he has consistently elevated the play of his linemates. His cap hit is just over $11.6 million and he has lived up to the expectations of that big contract in his first five seasons with the Blueshirts.
The hope for the Rangers is that Panarin has another great season in 2024-25, as he now has two excellent linemates in Trocheck and Lafreniere. He spent a long stretch in 2021-22 on a line with Strome and Dryden Hunt. At 32, he is still one of the NHL’s best playmakers and the team will once again rely heavily on the star winger this season.
