The legacy Artemi Panarin leaves behind as the Rangers move into a new era

On October 7, 2015, an undrafted rookie from Russia named Artemi Panarin stood on the ice in Chicago and fired a wrist shot past Henrik Lundqvist for his first career NHL goal. It was the first sign that the undrafted winger possessed a rare, game-breaking gravity—one that the Rangers would eventually pay $81.5 million to bring to Broadway.

Now, over a decade later, the man who began his career by beating the Rangers' greatest icon is leaving the franchise as an icon himself. His departure was finalized just minutes before the NHL’s Olympic roster freeze on Wednesday, as the Rangers officially traded Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for top prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional 2026 third-round pick.

But the most dangerous playmaker in Madison Square Garden spent his final night as a Ranger in a suit. After 482 games of making the impossible look casual, Panarin’s tenure didn't end with a celebratory leg-kick, a Stanley Cup, and it probably won't end with his No. 10 in the rafters; rather, he departs with a "roster management" memo and a locker that had already begun to feel like a museum exhibit.

Artemi Panarin's tenure with Rangers was prolific and productive

Panarin departs New York with a statistical resume that ranks among the greatest to ever wear the Broadway Blue, and beyond the stats, one of the most impactful New York Rangers of this century. Now that it's history, let's look back on the Artemi Panarin New York Rangers era:

In the 2019 offseason, Panarin’s arrival in New York was the culmination of a year-long pursuit that saw him pass up significantly larger offers to play on Broadway. Despite a last-minute push from the Columbus Blue Jackets — who reportedly offered an eight-year deal worth $12 million annually —and a massive $12.5 million AAV offer from the rival New York Islanders, Panarin chose a seven-year, $81.5 million contract with the Rangers, which was one of the largest free agent signings in franchise history.

His decision to take less money was driven by a clear desire to be the cornerstone of a historic Original Six franchise. After whispers had circulated throughout the 2018-19 season that Manhattan was his preferred destination, Panarin officially committed to the Rangers' rebuild, prioritizing the New York stage over the higher salary cap hits available elsewhere.

He immediately made an impact, scoring his first goal as a Ranger in his first game as a Ranger. It was the start of seven straight seasons where the Breadman led the Blueshirts in scoring, tallying 607 points and one Hart Trophy finalist nomination.

In his first two seasons on Broadway, the NHL world knew the Rangers were a budding contender centered around Panarin. With Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox, a superstar goalie in Igor Shesterkin, and plenty of star power — whether veterans in Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider or two lottery picks in Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko — the talent and vision was there. It all centered around No. 10.

Between 2022 and 2024, that vision translated into a period of sustained dominance that saw the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Finals twice. Panarin became the primary architect of the short-lived era, fueling a high-octane offense that thrived on the power play and in high-pressure moments. During the 2024 run, he added to his highlight reel with a spectacular between-the-legs redirection in overtime of Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes, giving the Rangers a stranglehold on the series and cementing his reputation as a player who could conjure magic out of nothing.

However, the defining moment of his Rangers legacy arrived during the first round of the 2022 playoffs. Facing a 3-1 series deficit against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Rangers battled back to force a deciding Game 7 at a deafening Madison Square Garden. Despite the noise from critics who claimed his Estyle couldn't survive the of the postseason, Panarin found the puck on his stick during a power play in the extra frame. He stepped into a wrist shot from the right circle that beat Tristan Jarry, sending the Garden into a frenzy and giving Rangers fans a moment they will remember forever.

Panarin leaves the Rangers as one of the most prolific scorers in the franchise's century-long history. Across nearly seven seasons, he recorded 205 goals and 402 assists for 607 points, a staggering output that places him 8th all-time in assists and 9th all-time in points for the Blueshirts. Remarkably, he became the fastest player in franchise history to reach the 400-point milestone — doing so in just 310 games — surpassing legends like Mark Messier and Brian Leetch.

The vision for Panarin’s tenure was clear: he was the centerpiece meant to carry a young, rebuilt roster back to glory. For a few years, it seemed destined to happen. Between 2022 and 2024, the Rangers were a juggernaut, winning a Presidents' Trophy and pushing deep into the Eastern Conference Finals twice.

During those runs, Panarin provided moments that should have been the chapters of a championship DVD, like his overtime winner against Carolina in 2024 or his series-clinching goal against Pittsburgh. Those were just a few in the postseason: some others that come to mind is his overtime goal against the Islanders in the Stadium Series where in front of nearly 80,000 fans at MetLife Stadium, Panarin stripped the puck just 10 seconds into the extra frame and sent a trickling shot across the goal line to cap off a historic three-goal comeback.

In a perfect world, the story would have ended with Panarin hoisting the Stanley Cup over his head at the Garden, fulfilling the prophecy made when he chose New York in 2019. He would have been the last Ranger to ever wear No. 10, his jersey eventually rising to the rafters alongside Messier, Leetch, Graves, Gilbert, and Giacomin as the man who finished the rebuild with a ring.

But sports are rarely poetic in the way we want them to be. Instead of a banner, the Breadman leaves behind a legacy of what ifs, traded to the team that beat the Rangers in the Stanley Cup last time they got there.

There will never be a New York Ranger like Artemi Panarin ever again. He was the rare superstar who actually preferred the weight of the New York spotlight, a high-wire artist who turned the Garden into his personal theater for six and a half seasons.

While he heads west to chase a sunset in Los Angeles, he leaves behind a legacy as the most gifted playmaker to ever wear the Broadway Blue — a man who gave the city everything but the parade it so desperately craved.