Welcome to New York Rangers offseason grades! It ultimately did not end the way the organization wanted it to, but there was a lot of jog and excitement to say the least. It is summertime for the Rangers, but that does not mean we cannot reminisce on the season. Today we will look at an Artemi Panarin off-season grade.
New York Rangers Offseason Grades: Panarin
Bread is wonderful, isn’t it? There are just so many types and different ways to eat it. Pizza, bagels, sandwiches, bread bowls and the list is just endless. Chefs kiss galore all over when it comes to that stuff. But one slice of bread in particular that stands out is Artemi Panarin. The endless leg kicks, heroics, and electric celebrations Panarin is a gem. This New York Rangers offseason grades article features one of the best players on the team let alone the league. The peanut butter to Mika Zibanejad‘s jelly, Panarin had another terrific season on Broadway.
The Season
This New York Rangers offseason grade concerns the best winger on the team. The writing was on the wall in the summer of 2019 that Panarin would be in the Big Apple. There are just a handful of players who have been more productive than Artemi Panarin. Over the last five seasons, Panarin has amassed 428 points. Only Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Nathan MacKinnon are ahead of him. It truly speaks volumes of his talent being among those names. Panarin had his second straight 90+ point season with the Rangers. Last year was a successful 96-point season that he followed up with 92 points.
This year he finished one point higher than Mika Zibanejad for the team lead (17th in the league). Of his 63 assists, 34 of them were primary. Like his partner in crime Zibanejad, Panarin thrived on the Rangers 7th ranked powerplay. Panarin managed to have 30 points on the man advantage. Just electric stuff as he helped make teams pay for taking trips to the penalty box. Panarin did score well above his expected rate as he only had 17.3 expected goals.
200 CAREER GOALS FOR ARTEMI PANARIN
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There was also a little bit of history. Panarin was one of two players to score four foals on the same night. His four-goal game against the Carolina Hurricanes was one of his best individual performances. Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings would follow suit shortly after. Truly a great night for hockey fans and those individual players. In addition, he would also score his 200th career goal in that same game.
The Playoffs
It was like playing Where’s Waldo in New York City. Nobody in the world could locate where Panarin went and how to find him. Like Zibanejad, Panarin was a ghost in these playoffs. Through seven games, Panarin had just two assists. For a player of his calibre, he was very quiet in the first round. It was a reason why the team had an early exit and they missed his offence. Just a season ago he was a hero, scoring the game-winner in Game Seven against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Like many players on this roster, he was among the quietest.
The Verdict
This New York Rangers offseason grade is challenging. Despite a fantastic regular season, Panarin was dead silent in the playoffs. It is hard to justify just him because he was one of many who was quiet in the playoffs. He is a tremendous talent and a cornerstone player for this franchise. It was a fun season full of great moments. Without question should we all expect another big season next year.
Grade: A
Main Photo: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
