This type of affirmation was not necessary for anyone who paid the slightest attention to Artemi Panarin and the 2019-20 Rangers.
Nevertheless, the winger’s first year in New York following the richest per-year free-agent commitment in franchise history was consecrated on Tuesday with a nomination for the NHLPA’s Ted Lindsay Award that goes to the league’s “Most Outstanding Player” as voted by the players.
Panarin, who recorded 95 points (32-63) in 69 games while leading the league in even-strength points and assists, is one of three finalists for the trophy, joined by Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. It would be no surprise at all if these three forwards are also named finalists for the Hart Trophy when that announcement is made by the league next week.
Panarin said that he narrowed his focus on his craft this season by reading less press and paying less attention to social media. All he missed were the figurative roses being tossed at his feet throughout the greatest season of the 28-year-old’s five-year career after signing his historic seven-year, $81.5 million deal worth an AAV of $11,642,857.
The Russian drove the Rangers until Mika Zibanejad grabbed a share of the wheel. Combining with Ryan Strome in the middle and Jesper Fast on the right for the final 18 matches and 32 of the last 34, Panarin was on for 128 of the Blueshirts’ 233 goals (54.9 percent) and was plus-36. Indeed, he became the first player in 10 seasons to record at least 95 points with at least a plus-35. The Russian Rockette established himself as one of the upper-echelon players in the world.
His production was only part of his value with the Rangers. His personality represented an equally important chunk.
“I think a lot of guys would say he’s a funny guy. He’s not overly loud in the dressing room but when he says something, a lot of times, he’s got a very dry sense of humor, he’s witty, he’s sarcastic and he’s as sharp as a tack,” Chris Kreider said. “He’s a very good teammate.”
“He competes like a dog on the puck in games. He wants to win. He’s highly, highly competitive. You can see that today in the scrimmage, him and Mika going back and forth a few times. He wants the puck — he doesn’t want anyone else to have it — and off the ice, a very good teammate, a very good friend and one of the happiest people you’ll ever meet.
“He’s a little soft-spoken, maybe because he’s not as comfortable with the language, although I think he speaks much better English than he lets on, as I’m sure a few people have said, but yeah, he’s a great all-around human being.”
Panarin was accompanied by Rangers director of European scouting Nickolai Bobrov, who acted as a translator for No. 10 on the NHL Zoom call that featured his fellow finalists. Panarin talked about looking forward to having the chance to compete for the first time for his country. He then addressed the matter of having been overlooked by the NHL in his draft years.
“I would like to thank all the general managers for not taking the chance of drafting me,” said Panarin, who signed as a free agent with the Blackhawks for 2015-16, “That allowed me the chance to be on a team that played my style and let me be successful.”
Start times for Rangers’ first three qualifying-round games have been set. Game 1, Aug. 1, Noon; Game 2, Aug. 3, Noon; Game 3, Aug. 4, Rangers listed as home team, 8 p.m. Times have not been set for the if necessary Game 4 (home) on Aug. 6 or Game 5 on Aug. 8. The Rangers will meet the Islanders in an exhibition game on July 29 at 8 p.m. All games will be played at Toronto.
When the Rangers broke into a scrimmage for the final 20 minutes of practice, taxi-squad defensemen Libor Hajek and K’Andre Miller joined the group to fill out a four-man blue line a side. Miller, who is ineligible to participate in the tournament, played his off, right-side. The 22-year-old Hajek, whom the organization still holds in high regard, would likely be the first man up if one of the club’s six varsity defensemen — Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Jacob Trouba, Brendan Smith, Marc Staal, Tony DeAngelo — becomes unfit to play.