Defining Season for New York’s Star Winger: Stay or Go?

A new chapter of Rangers hockey is just a few weeks away, and things have changed quite a bit. The team that fought to the Eastern Conference Finals twice in three years is nowhere near the same. An enormous collapse last season forced the Blueshirts to bid farewell to players like Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, and Chris Kreider; it was the end of an era. Despite last season's flaws, New York's top winger still managed to make the most of it with 37 goals. Since his playoff collapse in 2023, Artemi Panarin has developed a much greater shooting mentality, a mentality that has most definitely paid off over the last two seasons. Panarin remains one of New York's best players on ice, but is entering the final season of his seven-year contract. With New York looking to bounce back after last season, is it best for Artemi Panarin to stay or go?

Regarding the regular season, there’s no Ranger on the ice like Artemi Panarin. His new shooting mentality may have been long overdue, but he’s a big reason these Blueshirts found themselves in the playoffs before last season. Two seasons ago, the 33-year-old's motivation rewarded him with 49 goals and 120 points. Even with a collapse in the previous season, Panarin totaled nearly 100 points with 89 points, meaning that man is still one of their best. No doubt his shooting mentality will prove most valuable through next season, and if the Rangers can bounce back, it will easily be another potential 100-point season. His regular-season stats may convince fans to keep him with the Blueshirts, but there are also postseason stats to consider.

While his regular-season numbers show a player too valuable to lose, it doesn’t look like the same can be said when it matters most. Panarin's mentality to shoot more was noticeable in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but it still may not have been enough. Looking to make up for not scoring at all in 2023, Panarin got himself only five goals in 16 playoff games. While four of those five were all game-winning goals, it was still most disappointing coming off a season with almost 50 goals. Any player can be lights out in the regular season, but if it doesn’t translate to the playoffs, it simply doesn’t matter. So, a valuable addition to the regular season, but almost invisible on the ice during the postseason, what exactly is best for the Rangers?

While his struggle in the postseason is obviously a significant concern, his domination in the regular season may still be too valuable to lose. When a player like Panarin disappears in the postseason, it eventually always comes back to haunt the team, no matter how far, but it doesn’t exclude the fact that that player is one of the reasons the team is fighting for the Stanley Cup. The talent Panarin shows off in MSG in the regular season can never be ignored. His ability to score helped New York win the Presidents Trophy and almost gave the Rangers a chance at making the postseason last year. That winger may not be the hero in the postseason just yet, but he remains, even after last season, as one of the only Rangers who played like he wanted a spot in the playoffs. Maybe the Blueshirts can bounce back or they’ll rebuild, but Artemi Panarin, like Igor Shesterkin, is the least of their troubles right now, and looks never to stop producing, giving New York its chance. With a new coaching staff looking to change things up in MSG, Panarin has one last season to prove if his talent is too valuable to give up, or if it's time for New York and the Breadman to part ways.