Blue Line Station
Fansided

Is Artemi Panarin the best free agent signing in New York Rangers history?

By Justin Bonhard

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 04: Artemi Panarin #10 of the New York Rangers celebrates a Ranger goal against Vitek Vanecek #41 of the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden on February 04, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 04: Artemi Panarin #10 of the New York Rangers celebrates a Ranger goal against Vitek Vanecek #41 of the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden on February 04, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Artemi Panarin #10 of the New York Rangers celebrates his goal against the Washington Capital (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Artemi Panarin #10 of the New York Rangers celebrates his goal against the Washington Capital (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Fast forward to now

Since acquiring Panarin, the Rangers have improved in each of the past two seasons, with the “Breadman” leading the way.

In 2019-20, his first in New York, the team finished the season near the bottom of the Metropolitan, but were contending for a playoff spot with a record of 37-28-5 for 79 points. Panarin nearly eclipsed the 100-point milestone, but came up short with 32 goals and 65 assists for a career-high 95 points in just 69 games played. This was all before the stoppage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. He finished third in the Hart Trophy vote that season as well, trailing the  winner, Leon Draisaitl, and runner-up, Nathan MacKinnon.  Panarin tallied 24 first-place votes.

This past season was another example of why Panarin is one of the best signings in Rangers history. It was a shortened season of just 56 games and he lit up the scoresheet with 17 goals and 41 assists for 58 points in only 42 games played. Panarin missed multiple games twice this season and both times as a result of things that made front page news. Who is to say if he didn’t miss that time, could the Rangers have been able to catch Boston for that final playoff spot?

The first coming back at the end of February, when Panarin took a leave of absence from the team after allegations were made against him of assaulting a woman in Latvia back in 2011. Then, fast forward to just over a week ago, when the whole “Tom Wilson incident” went down. After being maliciously thrown to the ice, he suffered a lower-body injury that sidelined him for the remaining three games of the season.

When Panarin scored a goal on April 13, it gave him 138 points in his first 100 games with the Rangers, one more than the 137 scored by the previous record holder, Mark Messier.

Home/Analysis