Colin Stephenson: Former Rangers winger Artemi Panarin recalls feeling like a goner after 10-2 loss to Boston
Rangers GM Chris Drury and former Ranger Artemi Panarin. Credit: Getty Images/Bruce Bennett; Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Right after the Rangers got blown out by the Bruins on Jan. 10 in Boston, Artemi Panarin figured he was a goner.
“Probably, like 15 games ago, when we started losing, everything was possible,’’ Panarin, traded Wednesday to the Los Angeles Kings, said during his introductory Zoom call with the L.A. media Thursday before the Rangers were shut out for the ninth time this season and the seventh time at home, 2-0, by the Carolina Hurricanes. “When we lost to Boston 10-1 or something like that [10-2], I understood even if Chris [Drury, the Rangers’ general manager] wanted to give me deal, he probably can’t. We’re struggling, and we probably need some changes.’’
Six days later, on Jan. 16, Drury met with Panarin, a pending free agent, and told him he wouldn’t re-sign him and instead would work with him to trade him to a destination of his choosing. Then Drury met with the team, told them the master plan and issued his letter to the fans in which he declared the team would punt on the rest of the season and “retool.’’
On Jan. 26, Drury traded pending free agent defenseman Carson Soucy to the Islanders, and a couple of days later, he sat Panarin against the Islanders for “roster management.’’ A week after that, he dealt Panarin to the Kings, the team Panarin told him he wished to join. The return package was 20-year-old winger Liam Greentree (the Kings’ first-round draft pick in 2024) and a pair of conditional draft picks.
Even before Drury met with him, Panarin — who had signed a seven-year, $81.5 million deal with the Rangers as a free agent in 2019 — had reason to believe the team didn’t really want him back. He and his agent, Paul Theofanous, had discussions on a contract extension before the season and then shortly after the season started with Panarin off to a slow start. They talked again after his game picked up.
“We talked about the contract a little bit, but I feel — I don’t know if I should say this — but I feel like their offer said ‘we’re not sure we want you or not,’ ’’ Panarin said. “So that’s why I didn’t sign.’’
The question for fans has to be: Why wouldn’t the Rangers want Panarin back?
All the guy did was lead the team in scoring every year, including this season, when he put up 57 points (19 goals, 38 assists) in 52 games. In his six-plus seasons as a Ranger, he had 205 goals and 402 assists for 607 points in 482 games. He is eighth on the franchise list in assists and ninth in points. And he is the franchise’s all-time leader in points per game (1.26), assists per game (.83) and goals created per game (.45).
“He is a terrific hockey player, one of the Rangers’ very best of his generation,’’ coach Mike Sullivan said. “His body of work here speaks for itself. He’s a guy that is unique in the way he plays the game. He certainly can drive an awful lot of offense, and he’s one of those game-breaking-type players.’’
And yes, he will turn 35 shortly after next season starts. So it would be natural to be wary of committing too many dollars or too many years to him. But without him in their lineup, how competitive are the Rangers going to be the next couple of seasons?
Panarin said he made a lot of friends and created a lot of memories during his time with the Rangers, praising the organization and the fans.
“That’s a great organization, too,’’ he said. “New York Rangers, Original Six team. I was pretty proud to wear this jersey. Thank you to the fans. I’ve got to make a video, but I’ve got a lot going on right now.’’
There were reports and rumors that Panarin wanted to go to one of the Florida teams. He didn’t address those but said that after talking to Rangers teammate Vladislav Gavrikov, he decided Los Angeles was the place for him.
He signed a two-year extension with the Kings worth a reported $22 million, which seemed surprisingly modest, given what he was rumored to be seeking. But it came after talks broke down for a while, and Panarin feared the Kings didn’t want him at all. So when he realized that was all he would get from the Kings, he agreed to it.
“I’m a guy who’s not thinking that much about money,’’ he said. “I don’t know, maybe it seems funny, but it’s not important thing for me. I just want to play for the guys or I don’t want to play for the guys. Obviously, it’s a pretty short deal for me. It’s not what I’m looking for, but because I wanted to play there only, I didn’t have many options.’’
LI goalie stays hot. Carolina’s Brandon Bussi made 16 saves for his second career shutout. He is from Sound Beach and developed with the P.A.L. Islanders as a youngster. Bussi set an NHL record in January for fastest to 20 wins (in 24 games).
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
