If you are a New York Rangers fan, you are probably running out of words to say regarding the play of forward Artemi Panarin.
In the Rangers 4-3 shootout win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday night, March 23, at Madison Square Garden, Panarin, 32, had two goals and the game-winning goal in the shootout. If you have been watching the Rangers, what Panarin did on this night is nothing new.
Simply put, Panarin has done it all for the Blueshirts this season. For starters, he is scoring a lot of goals.
As of this writing (Sunday, March 24th), Panarin leads the team with a career-high 43 goals (and counting). He is currently tied for fifth in the league in goals scored with Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon.
One reason why Panarin is scoring a lot of goals this season is because he is no longer afraid to shoot the puck. He currently leads the team with 255 shots on goal, with his previous career-high being 228 in the 2017-18 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
By not being afraid to put the puck on the net, Panarin has seen a lot of scoring chances, a lot of rebounds, and a lot of pucks tickle the twine. If the Blueshirts want to have success in the Stanley Cup playoffs, he is going to need to continue to shoot the puck with a purpose for his hockey club.
Not only is Panarin piling up goals, but he is also doing a great job of sharing the puck. He currently leads the club with 56 assists, which should not come as a surprise.
For the most part, Panarin has always been a pass-first player. Since signing with the Rangers in the 2019 offseason, he has had the following assist totals with the team:
- 2019-20: 63 assists
- 2020-21 (COVID-shortened season): 41 assists
- 2021-22: 74 assists
- 2022-23: 63 assists
Panarin is one of the best passers in the league. He has great vision, soft hands, and an outstanding ability to find the open man to create either a scoring opportunity or lead to a goal.
Lastly, Panarin has been a point-producing machine this season. He currently leads the team with 99 points, which also has him tied with Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak for fourth in the league.
In my opinion, Panarin has been the franchise’s best free-agent signing. Yes, his postseason numbers, but just look at what he has done with the Blueshirts in his five seasons on Broadway so far:
- 2019-20: 32 goals and 63 assists for 95 points in 69 games.
- 2020-21: 17 goals and 41 assists for 58 points in 42 games.
- 2021-22: 22 goals and 74 assists for 96 points in 75 games.
- 2022-23: 29 goals and 63 assists for 92 points in 82 games.
- 2023-24 (11 games left in the regular season): 43 goals and 56 assists for 99 points in 71 games.
When the Rangers signed Panarin to a seven-year, $81.5 million deal on the first day of free agency in 2019, many people wondered how he would perform. Sure, both the team and their fans knew that he was a great player, but they wondered whether or not he would be able to live up to a huge contract playing in New York.
It is safe to say that Panarin has more than delivered for the Rangers. He has produced every year, he has made players around him better, and he has helped get them into the playoffs in four out of the five years he has been with the club.
In June, the NHL will announce the winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy, which is given to the league’s most valuable player. While usual names such as MacKinnon, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, and Edmonton Oilers franchise player Connor McDavid will all garner attention for it, there is no doubt that Panarin deserves some serious consideration.
If you are the Rangers and their fans, it might be scary to think where the team would be without Panarin. Would they be as dangerous offensively? No. Would they be as dynamic offensively? Also no. Would they be feared? Maybe, but not as much as they are currently feared because they have Panarin.
Panarin is everything and more to the Rangers. Hopefully, he will be just that come playoff time.
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