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Artemi Panarin

Metro Notes: Panarin, Rust, Shabanov

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New York Rangers star forward Artemi Panarin told the media today that he’s feeling good and is expecting to be able to play Wednesday when New York begins the regular season (as per Peter Baugh of The Athletic). Panarin returned to Rangers practice today for the first time since he left a preseason game almost a week ago with a lower-body injury. It was the second time he’d exited a preseason game with an ailment; however, it appears that he is optimistic he can play when the Rangers take on Pittsburgh in two nights.

Panarin took his usual spot on a line with Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere and appeared set to open the season, however, Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette was a bit more conservative with his comments after practice saying that the Rangers were taking things slow with Panarin and they would see how he feels over the next two days.

In other Metropolitan Division notes:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed forward Bryan Rust on IR, retroactively to last Sunday (as per Michelle Crechiolo of Pens Inside Scoop). Rust will be able to come off IR at any time and could play in the Penguins opener on Wednesday night as Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas called him day-to-day. Dubas admitted that the Penguins are being cautious with Rust and are trying to avoid his ailment becoming a long-term complication. Rust has had trouble staying healthy throughout his career and has never played a full 82-game season. Last year, he missed time and dressed in just 62 games but was very effective posting 28 goals and 28 assists.
  • The New York Islanders are reportedly among four NHL teams that have already expressed an interest in KHL forward Maxim Shabanov (as per Ethan Sears of The New York Post). Shabanov is off to a good start in the KHL this season with 14 points in his first 12 games and is coming off a season in which he posted 25 goals and 25 assists in 64 games with Traktor Chelyabinsk. Shabanov is expected to decide at the end of the KHL season as to whether he will sign in the NHL or not and many expect that his list of suitors will grow into the double digits by that time. The Islanders are fresh off signing another young Russian in Maxim Tsyplakov who should receive playing ample time in the Islanders’ top-six forward group this season.

Evening Notes: Rangers, Aube-Kubel, Blues

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New York Rangers star Artemi Panarin returned to practice today, but remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury, head coach Peter Laviolette shared with Arthur Staple of The Athletic. Top prospect Brennan Othmann replaced Panarin in the team’s Friday night preseason matchup against the Islanders.

Othmann has managed four points through the preseason, tied with defender Zachary Jones for the team’s scoring lead. He’s managed one goal and three assists, all primary, making him one of just five Rangers with multiple primary points this preseason. Othmann is preparing for his second professional season, after netting a shrewd 49 points in 67 AHL games last season. He’ll get another chance to show the Rangers his might on Friday, while Panarin preps for the team’s October 9th season opener.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Buffalo Sabres winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel was seen wearing a brace on his left leg after the team’s season opener, shares Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. Head coach Lindy Ruff didn’t provide any updates, other than mentioning that the team will know more this weekend. Aube-Kubel is one of the many fighting for a spot in Buffalo’s bottom six. He scored two points in two preseason games, and managed two shots in the team’s first game.
  • The St. Louis Blues have extended their affiliation with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds through the 2030-31 season. The two sides have been partnered since 2020, on a deal that was originally set to expire in 2025. Springfield has produced heaps of talent for the Blues roster in the years since, including being the initial testing grounds for current Blues head coach Drew Bannister. Springfield has managed a 111-87-22 record across three seasons under the Blues, though they’re coming off a losing record in 2023-24 (30-37-5).

Metro Notes: Panarin, Sorokin, Fasching, Michkov

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The New York Rangers have had a couple of scares over the last week with All-Star forward Artemi Panarin leaving two preseason games with a lower-body injury. There was a fear that Panarin’s most recent injury could be longer term but Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that won’t be the case.

The Russian superstar is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury which is a best-case scenario for the player and the organization. Panarin left the Rangers’ preseason contest against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night and previously left the team’s game against the New York Islanders last week with a similar injury.

New York’s regular season success does not completely center around Panarin’s availability but he does account for much of it. He’s coming off the best statistical season of his career scoring 49 goals and 120 points in 82 contests while finishing fifth in Hart Memorial Trophy voting.

Other Metro notes:

  • On the flip side of the New York rivalry, the Islanders are getting a boost between the pipes. Andrew Gross of Newsday reports goaltender Ilya Sorokin was a full participant in New York’s practice today for the first time in camp. The Islanders will likely ramp up Sorokin’s training relatively quickly as he recovers from offseason back surgery. He could even feature in the team’s game tomorrow night against the Rangers. The organization is hopeful for a bounceback campaign from their number one netminder after Sorokin posted a 16-point decrease in save percentage last year compared to his previous career average.
  • Again from Gross – another player returning to the ice for the Islanders is depth forward Hudson Fasching (X Link). He’s been nursing a lower-body injury that has kept him off the ice since September 27th. Because of his injury, he’s only suited up in one preseason game so far and will now be able to suit up in one more before the regular season kicks off on October 10th.
  • A panel of writers from the NHL has made their prediction for the Calder Memorial Trophy winner for the 2024-25 NHL season. The panel predicts Philadelphia Flyers’ youngster Matvei Michkov will take home the award by season’s end. Still, he will have some tough competition from San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini and Dallas Stars’ Logan Stankoven. It’s tough to argue with the panel on their choice as Michkov already has three goals and seven points in four preseason contests.

Metro Notes: Panarin, Karlsson, Vilen

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The New York Rangers have announced that forward Artemi Panarin will not return to their preseason game tonight against the Devils due to a lower-body injury. Panarin suffered a similar fate last week in the Rangers second preseason game against the Islanders when he also left due to a lower-body injury. Panarin returned after missing a practice day and told the media he had left that game to err on the side of caution.

The extent of Panarin’s injury remains in question as the Rangers’ tweets have been vague thus far. Given the fact that it is just preseason, the Rangers could be exercising an abundance of caution with their superstar. Panarin has been relatively durable since joining New York, missing just seven games in the past three seasons. The 32-year-old finished fourth in NHL scoring last season with 49 goals and 71 assists in 82 games.

In other Metropolitan Division notes:

  • Rob Rossi of The Athletic reports that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson took a positive step today and skated for the first time in almost a week. Karlsson has missed all of Penguins training camp after suffering an apparent upper-body injury and took time away from the ice which created a murky picture around his injury. Today, the mood seemed more optimistic after Karlsson’s solo skate, and it seems possible that Karlsson could get back into the Penguins lineup before they start the regular season on October 9th against the Rangers.
  • New Jersey Devils defenseman Topias Vilén suffered an upper-body injury last night in a preseason game against the New York Rangers and will miss the next 3-4 weeks (as per New Jersey Devils reporter Catherine Bogart). The 21-year-old joins a growing list of Devils defensemen who are dealing with injuries alongside Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce, and Santeri Hatakka. The Finnish defender was unlikely to start the season in the NHL, but with the injury, he will start the AHL season a few weeks late.

East Notes: Luchanko, Panarin, Guhle

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Some thought the Flyers took too big a swing at this year’s draft when selecting center Jett Luchanko with the No. 13 overall pick. They’ve been impressed by the 18-year-old pivot so far in camp, though. Assistant coach Rocky Thompson told Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports on Thursday that Luchanko has “opened our eyes” as one of the biggest risers thus far.

Line rushes now still indicate it’s unlikely that Luchanko begins his post-draft season on the Flyers’ NHL roster. However, the well-rounded center prospect has perhaps accelerated his timeline to NHL minutes with a potential nine-game trial (or longer) in store for him in 2025-26. He’ll likely get one or two more games worth of preseason action before being returned to his junior team, the OHL’s Guelph Storm. He had a team-leading 74 points (20 G, 54 A) in 68 games last season with a -13 rating.

More notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • Rangers star Artemi Panarin still carries a day-to-day designation with a lower-body injury and won’t play in Thursday’s game against the Bruins, per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. But the high-flying winger did skate today and doesn’t project to miss much more time. He was hurt in Tuesday’s 6-4 win over the Islanders, a game that also saw defenseman Ryan Lindgren sustain a longer-term upper-body injury that has his availability for the beginning of the regular season in doubt.
  • Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle skated Thursday morning for the first time since having his appendix removed on Sep. 18, the team said. He’s now listed as day-to-day and could see action over the course of Montreal’s four remaining preseason contests. There’s no indication he’ll still be hampered by the time their regular-season opener hits on Oct. 9 against the Maple Leafs.

East Notes: Fox, Panarin, Kulemin

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Rangers defenseman Adam Fox is back to full health after playing through a re-aggravated strained MCL in his right knee in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he told the New York Post’s Mollie Walker on Tuesday.

“It’s funny because I missed 10 games, but it feels like you’ve missed like 30 when you’re sitting out and everything,” Fox said, referring to when he initially sustained the injury in November of last season. “I think when people get hurt, you maybe come back and you’re tentative. I think it’s a normal reaction. I think overall, still, the year was good. Obviously, now, that’s in the past and I feel healthy now. Not too worried about any of that stuff anymore.”

The re-occurrence of the injury during the Rangers’ First Round win over the Capitals did limit Fox’s effectiveness, keeping him to a rather pedestrian eight assists in 16 games. But it didn’t hamper him at all upon his return during the regular season. The 26-year-old managed the best offensive showing of his five-year NHL career, torching opponents for 56 assists and 73 points in 72 games – not career-highs, but his first time breaking the point-per-game plateau. He averaged north of 23 minutes per game and finished top five in Norris Trophy voting for the fourth year in a row.

There’s more out of the Eastern Conference:

  • The Rangers had a contender for the most memorable game of the preseason Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, erasing a 4-1 deficit in the final 6:10 of regulation to defeat the Islanders 6-4. But it came with a price – star winger Artemi Panarin left the game in the third period with a lower-body injury and is still being evaluated, head coach Peter Laviolette said last night. There’s yet to be an update on the 32-year-old, who finished fifth in Hart Trophy voting last season after leading the Rangers in scoring with 120 points (49 G, 71 A) in 82 games. The team also lost top-four defenseman Ryan Lindgren to an upper-body injury, likely sustained in his fight with Islanders defender Scott Mayfield after the latter laid a knee-on-knee hit on Rangers center Filip Chytil. Chytil, who played just 10 games last season due to concussion symptoms, was able to return.
  • Many eyebrows were raised when the Senators signed 38-year-old winger Nikolai Kulemin to a professional tryout a few weeks ago. After all, he hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2017-18 season and spent the past six years as a serviceable but non-dominant force in the Kontinental Hockey League. Kulemin recently told Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic that his son, Aleks Kulemin, will play U-16 hockey with the Toronto-area Don Mills Flyers this season and wasn’t ready to part with his family or his playing career, leading him to once again pursue opportunities in North America, preferably north of the border.

NHL Announces 2023-24 All-Star Teams

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The NHL announced their annual season-ending All-Star teams as part of last night’s award festivities. The rosters, as voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association, are as follows.

First All-Star Team

LW: Artemi Panarin (Rangers)
C: Nathan MacKinnon (Avalanche)
RW: Nikita Kucherov (Lightning)
D: Quinn Hughes (Canucks)
D: Roman Josi (Predators)
G: Connor Hellebuyck (Jets)

Second All-Star Team

LW: Filip Forsberg (Predators)
C: Connor McDavid (Oilers)
RW: David Pastrňák (Bruins)
D: Adam Fox (Rangers)
D: Cale Makar (Avalanche)
G: Thatcher Demko (Canucks)

The First Team nod caps off quite a successful 24 hours for MacKinnon, who also swept both media-voted and player-voted MVP honors with the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. It’s his third All-Star nod, although his two prior ones were both Second Team honors in 2018 and 2020. The 28-year-old pivot led the Avs in scoring with 51 goals and 140 points this season and recorded a league-high 405 shots on goal.

Notably, the voting ledger (available in the league’s announcement) indicates Kucherov was the unanimous First Team selection at right wing. That’s the first time that’s happened since 2002, when the Flames’ Jarome Iginla was the across-the-board pick after also winning the Richard and Art Ross trophies. Like Iginla, Kucherov was crowned this year’s Art Ross winner after recording 144 points in 81 games. He tied with McDavid for a league-leading 100 assists, becoming the first winger in NHL history to hit the mark.

Absent from either team is Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews, whose 69 goals this season were the most of anyone since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96. He also fell short of being a Hart Trophy finalist behind Kucherov, MacKinnon and McDavid. He was third in All-Star voting among centers, though, and did receive nine First Team and 55 Second Team votes out of 187 ballots. The only other center to receive consideration was the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, who only appeared on four ballots.

Metropolitan Notes: Panarin, Vesey, Acciari, Fasching

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Rangers forwards Artemi Panarin and Jimmy Vesey missed Wednesday’s practice and are out on a day-to-day basis with lower-body injuries, per the team’s public relations department. Both players were banged up in yesterday’s win over the Stars but did not miss significant chunks of the game.

Panarin has been on a tear this past week, notching a goal and six assists in his last three games. The 32-year-old is on pace to break the 40-goal barrier for the first time and is tied for fifth in points league-wide with 75 in 56 games.

Vesey is one of the Rangers’ most valuable depth talents, posting 12 goals and 18 points in 54 games despite extreme even-strength shutdown usage. Now 30 years old, Vesey is in his second go-around with the Rangers after spending the first three seasons of his NHL career there from 2016 to 2019.

Averaging 12:26 per game, Vesey has been elevated into the top six alongside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad after Blake Wheeler sustained a season-ending leg injury last week. Alex Belzile is on the roster as a 13th forward and will make his season debut against the Devils tomorrow if one of Panarin or Vesey can’t play, and the Rangers have roster and cap space for an additional recall if both miss time.

More updates from the Metro:

  • Penguins forward Noel Acciari is on a fast-track recovery from his concussion, skating in a regular jersey at Wednesday’s practice after being cleared for non-contact practice yesterday (via Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports). He’s missed six games after sustaining the concussion on a hit from Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon, which earned him a three-game suspension. It’s been a trying first season in Pittsburgh for the 32-year-old, who’s mustered three goals and one assist in 39 games despite averaging nearly 13 minutes. Acciari joined former Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas on the Toronto-to-Pittsburgh pipeline last summer, signing a three-year, $6MM contract with a modified no-trade clause that’s looking like a regrettable decision for the Penguins’ front office.
  • The Islanders moved winger Hudson Fasching to LTIR on Wednesday, per a team announcement. The move is retroactive to Jan. 25; he’s missed seven games with a lower-body injury and is now dealing with an illness. He has been ruled out of the Islanders’ next three contests as a result and will be eligible to return on Feb. 29 against the Red Wings. Placing him on LTIR frees up the necessary roster and cap space for the Islanders to recall a forward from AHL Bridgeport after fourth-line anchor Casey Cizikas sustained a hand injury in last night’s win in Pittsburgh. Fasching, 28, has scored three times and added five assists in 35 games.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: New York Rangers

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the New York Rangers.

Who are the Rangers thankful for?

Jonathan Quick.

The New York Rangers haven’t had to worry about much this season, championing a 23-8-1 record that places them second in the NHL. But if there’s one player that’s encapsulated their success this season, it’s first-year Ranger Jonathan Quick, who’s satisfying a dream by finally making his way to New York. And Quick has jumped at the chance, revitalizing what seemed like a lost career. After recording a save percentage below .900 in three of his last five seasons before this year, Quick is not boasting an impressive .920 save percentage through 12 games, tallying a 9-1-1 record to boot. The Rangers don’t need to turn to him much, with Vezina-winner Igor Shesterkin still looking worthy of the award, but Quick has done a lot to completely solidify the Rangers’ crease, helping the team stick in the Top 10 of fewest-goals-allowed this season.

The 38-year-old Quick is on a one-year, $825K contract with the Rangers signed on July 1st. The netminder is in his 17th NHL season, playing 16 years with the Los Angeles Kings and winning one of his two Stanley Cups over the New York Rangers in 2014. He’ll now look to serve as a key support for New York’s own run to the Cup this year.

What are the Rangers thankful for?

A hardy offense.

The Rangers are scoring more this year than they have in any season since the turn of the century, averaging 3.34 goals per game through their first 32 games. What’s more, the scoring has been spread throughout the lineup, with the team carrying 11 different players with 10 or more points. Setting up their offensive systems has been the focus of New York’s game this season, carried on the back of Artemi Panarin’s 44 points in 32 games, a mark that ranks sixth in the NHL. Panarin is flanked on the statsheet by Mika Zibanejad’s 33 points and Chris Kreider’s 30 points in as many games. There’s even scoring on New York’s injured reserve, with the hurt Filip Chytil putting up six assists in the 10 games that he managed to appear in.

Having such a wide array of scoring talent has worked incredibly well for the Rangers’ power-play: the most effective power-play in the league with a 31.1 percent success rate. It’s the second-most effective power-play in the NHL since 2000, only behind the 2022-23 Edmonton Oilers who carried an impressive 32.4 percent success rate through 82 games.

It hasn’t been since the 2016-17 season that a Rangers team ranked in the top 10 of goals-for in the league. They haven’t managed that feat this year just yet – ranked 11th in goals-for with 108 – but with games in hand and a healthy roster, New York is entering the second half of the year with one of the best forward groups they’ve had in a long time.

What would the Rangers be even more thankful for?

Draft picks.

With so much going right for the Rangers, it’s unfortunate that they only have four first, second, or third round picks until 2026. This comes after the team has made just two first round picks in the last three drafts, significantly holding back their ability to build out a prospect pool that can support the NHL club for the long-term. With the low quantity of picks, it’s become a game of quality over quantity for New York, who have seen promising years from some of their top prospects. 2023 First Round selection Gabe Perreault is looking dazzling through his first 17 collegiate games, netting 25 points while playing alongside juniors hockey teammates Will Smith and Ryan Leonard. Fellow first-rounder Brennan Othmann is also coming into his own this year, with 22 points in the first 26 AHL games of his career. He’s followed on the statsheet by Ryder Korczak and Adam Sykora, who both have 11 points in 24 and 25 AHL games respectively. The success of so many first-year pros speaks praise to Steve Smith’s Hartford Wolf Pack, who currently rank second in the AHL’s Atlantic Division.

The Rangers have their First Round pick in each of the next three drafts – all three boasting seriously high-end talent at the top of the class – and even have a Second Round pick in 2024. But with no guarantee that they’ll be able to continue reeling in successful prospects, the team will need to make sure to keep the future in mind.

What should be on the Rangers holiday wish list?

A willing buyer at the Trade Deadline.

There’s very little reason to rock the boat in New York. The team is performing well, boosted by Adam Fox’s return to play. But even with the current roster clicking so well, the Rangers are still carrying NHL-talents Kaapo Kakko and Chytil on IR. No timeline has been provided for either player’s return but they could create a logjam when they work their way back into the lineup. While not necessarily a bad issue to have, the Rangers could be in a prime position to bring in a few assets if they’re able to deal one of their extra NHL forwards to a team who hasn’t had as much top-to-bottom lineup success. It’d be a shrewd way to make their assets work for them, although having plenty of forward depth can be an ace up the sleeve during the postseason. If the Rangers are open to trades will certainly be one question – but with so much going right for the club, there’s no doubting that they’ll have plenty of interested parties flocking their way come the Trade Deadline.

Injury Notes: Pysyk, Panarin, Chytil

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521-game NHL veteran Mark Pysyk will be out with a “longer term” injury according to Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, as relayed by the Pittsburgh Post-Tribune’s Seth Rorabaugh. Pysyk has been with the Penguins on a PTO, attempting an NHL comeback after missing the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign with an injury to his Achilles.

While the exact nature of Pysyk’s injury is undisclosed, this is a brutal blow for the veteran defenseman. A widely well-liked stay-at-home defenseman, Pysyk’s injury could cost him his chance at a contract with the Penguins, and further cloud his future in a league he’s played in since his NHL debut in 2012-13.

Some other injury notes from across the NHL:

  • The New York Rangers have announced that star forward Artemi Panarin did not practice today due to a lower-body injury, and is out on a day-to-day designation. Panarin, 31, has been the Rangers’ leading scorer and top offensive generator in every season he’s played on Broadway. While there’s no word on how serious this injury is beyond this announcement, the team will need him up to speed on opening night to stand the best chance of pulling ahead in what figures to be a cutthroat Metropolitan Division.
  • Larry Brooks of the New York Post relays word of another Rangers injury. Ascending pivot Filip Chytil left today’s practice with an upper-body injury, and like Panarin is considered day-to-day. While Chytil, 24, is not in the same stratosphere of importance as Panarin, he is an impactful Ranger in his own right. He enjoyed a breakout 2022-23, scoring 22 goals and 45 points. He’s expected to push to shake Vincent Trocheck’s tight grip on the Rangers’ second-line center job this season, though that task may become more difficult should he be forced to battle through injuries.

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