Rangers get uninspiring glimpse at life without Artemi Panarin
For the first time in 2025-26, the New York Rangers hit the ice without star winger Artemi Panarin, who was sidelined Thursday against the St. Louis Blues with an illness. Not surprisingly, offense came at a premium.
The Rangers eked out a 2-1 overtime win over the Blues, thanks to another clutch game-winner from captain J.T. Miller.
New York will take wins any way it can get them, especially after losing five of its previous six games (1-3-2). But it’s also a sobering reminder of what this squad looks like without its biggest threat and leading scorer.
Panarin’s missed just three games since 2022-23 and been consistently available and consistently productive.
Since joining the Rangers ahead of the 2019-20 season on a blockbuster seven-year, $81.5 million contract, Panarin’s 584 points rank fifth among all NHL skaters — only Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, and David Pastrnak have more. The shifty winger maintained a point-per-game rate through his first six seasons, leading New York in scoring each time.
He’s continued to be a bright spot for the Rangers, even as their scoring rate dipped to third-worst in the NHL (2.50 goals per game) this season. Panarin’s 11 goals and 34 points in 35 games pace the Blueshirts.
Less inspiring performances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs draw the ire of fans, but Panarin’s regular-season production remains invaluable to the Rangers. Still, his future on Broadway remains uncertain.
The prolific forward, who turned 34 in October, can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.
Panarin reportedly declined New York’s more team-friendly extension offer, one similar to the extension agreed to by Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar.
Kopitar decided to finish out his NHL career with the Kings, inking a two-year deal worth $7 million annually on July 6, 2023 — a drop of $3 million in average-annual value (AAV) from his previous eight-year contract.
Rangers offense without Panarin leaves much to be desired
New York celebrated a much-needed win over the Blues, but it was hardly an inspired performance offensively, especially at even strength.
It stands out that the Rangers failed to score a 5-on-5 goa Thursday. For reference, St. Louis ranks third-worst in goals-against-average and allowed 86 goals at 5-on-5 — the most in the NHL.
Their only tallies came on the power play, when Will Cuylle’s second -period shot deflected off the skate of rookie forward Gabe Perreault, and during the 3-on-3 overtime period on Miller’s one-timer.
They outshot the Blues 31-27, but Panarin’s puck skills were sorely missed, particularly when St. Louis tilted the ice in the third period. Too often, New York’s offensive possessions lacked bite without the threat of a dynamic playmaker.
Panarin is the only Rangers player with more than five goals at 5-on-5 this season. The offensive outlook is bleak in his absence, and that’s a scary thought given his murky future with the team.
New York already has three 32-year-old forwards — Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, and Miller — on the downturn production-wise and under contract until at least 2028-29. It’s possible general manager Chris Drury isn’t inclined to commit to another aging forward, especially if Panarin commands a high AAV.
Allowing the four-time 90-point scorer to walk was more appetizing when a slew of high-profile forwards — including Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Martin Necas, Kyle Connor, and Adrian Kempe — were eligible to become free agents. But each re-upped with his respective team, leaving the 2026 free-agent class a bit lacking in star power.
Panarin is one of two players on expiring contracts who recorded at least 70 points last season. The other is Alex Ovechkin, who turned 40 in September and remains noncommittal about his future beyond 2025-26. If Panarin elects to sign elsewhere, New York is hard-pressed to find a similar-level talent on the open market.
They can seek to fill the void internally, although that’s an awful lot of pressure on the likes of Alexis Lafreniere, Noah Laba, and Cuylle. Lafreniere struggled to take the next leap after a breakout 2023-24 season. Cuylle and Laba are forwards to build around and should continue to develop offensively, but neither projects to be an elite point producer.
Panarin’s departure could open up a coveted top-six spot for Perreault, their 2023 first-round pick (No. 23 overall) — but under coach Mike Sullivan, that role must be earned, not given.
The Rangers recalled Perreault and 2021 first-round pick Brennan Othmann ahead of the Blues game. But even with Panarin scratched, neither forward cracked the top six.
Veteran Conor Sheary, who sits on one goal in his age-33 season, remained in the top six on a line with Miller and Trocheck, and Cuylle moved up to replace Panarin.
Perreault skated on the third line next to Laba and Taylor Raddysh, finishing the night with 13:09 TOI and his first NHL goal. Othmann was on the fourth line and logged just 7:14, the fewest minutes of any Rangers skater.
Sullivan is transparent about what he wants from his rookies — quick decisions and a defensively-responsible game. Those standards won’t change, even if Panarin leaves or is traded at some point this season.
Why Rangers must address offensive woes
There’s a case to be made for moving on from Panarin, despite his highly accomplished Blueshirts tenure.
New York’s offense floundered this season, even with another solid campaign from Panarin. The most valuable path for the Rangers may be to trade their star winger ahead of the March 6 NHL deadline.
A tightly packed Eastern Conference makes it difficult for even a flawed Rangers squad to fall out of the postseason picture. But perhaps Drury considers such measures if a reasonable extension is unlikely.
Panarin wields a full no-movement clause, potentially limiting New York’s leverage. Still, he could net a sizeable return if he finds another destination appealing. It’s hard to see the Rangers punting on this season, but there’s major value to be gained in a potential trade.
That doesn’t mean the Rangers must enter a full-scale rebuild.
Beyond Miller, Trocheck, and Zibanejad, the Rangers already tied up Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin long term. And that was before they signed Sullivan to a five-year deal, making him the highest-paid head coach in the NHL, and added Vladislav Gavrikov in free agency on a seven-year, $49 million contract this past summer.
Those are the moves of a team that envisions itself a contender — and it’s unrealistic to expect Drury to abandon that mindset one year later, even if the Rangers miss the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
The defensive structure under Sullivan is sound enough to keep the Rangers competitive. But if the game Thursday is any evidence, it’s hard to put much faith in a Panarin-less offense, at least without significant additions. The Rangers may part ways with Panarin, but if they do little to address their offensive woes, they’ll remain in a similar purgatory.
