Rangers star No. 5 in NHL Network Top 20 wingers ranking

After recording 120 points last season, Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers moved up the annual NHL Network rankings of top wingers in the League. The top-20 rankings, revealed Wednesday, listed Panarin as the fifth-best winger heading into the 2024-25 season. The 32-year-old was ranked No. 9 prior to last season.

The Rangers are off to a good start in NHL Network’s annual positional rankings. Last week, Igor Shesterkin was named the No. 1 goalie in the NHL.

Panarin was expected to move up this list after having his best NHL season in 2023-24, when he finished fourth in the League in scoring, fifth in goals (49) and fifth in assists (71). His 120 points were three shy of Jaromir Jagr’s single-season franchise record of 123 points set in 2005-06.

It was just the seventh time in Rangers history a player recorded 100 points. The others to do so were Jagr, Jean Ratelle (109 points, 1971-72), Mark Messier (107 points, 1991-92), Vic Hatfield (107 points, 1971-72), Mike Rogers (103 points, 1981-82), and Brian Leetch (102 points, 1991-92).

Panarin began the 2023-24 season with a 15-game point streak (10 goals, 16 assists) to set a Rangers record for the longest run to open a season (Rod Gilbert, 14 games in 1972-73).

Without Panarin’s outstanding play, the Rangers would not have finished in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 114 points nor won the President’ Trophy. Panarin was in serious contention for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP all season, but wasn’t even a finalist for the award in the end. Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche won the Hart . The League’s scoring champion Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning finished second in the voting, and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid was third. Panarin did receive three first-place votes.

Panarin’s impact was felt in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, as well. He helped the Rangers return to the Eastern Conference Final, recording 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 16 games.

You could argue Panarin needed to do more in the Eastern Conference Final, but outside of a couple of players, the Rangers offense was non-existent against the Florida Panthers in the six-game defeat.

“He got a good bit of flack for kind of towards the end of the final round for this group, the conference finals, his game kind of drops off. But gosh, Florida did that to a lot of clubs out there,” former NHL forward and network analyst Stu Grimson explained. “First two rounds, 10 games. His 11 points across those 10 games, including … four game-winning goals. So, I don’t know that the knock against Panarin in the postseason is warranted to me. This is just, all in all, a really brilliant player who authored a brilliant, brilliant ’23-’24 season.”

Related: Who Rangers next captain could be after Jacob Trouba

Artemi Panarin’s consistency with Rangers makes him one of top NHL wings

Panarin has been a remarkably consistent winger in the NHL, ever since winning the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in 2015-16 with the Chicago Blackhawks. However, it’s since he signed with the Rangers as a free agent in the summer of 2019 that Panarin has played to a superstar level year-in and year-out.

Though his contract is massive — seven years, $81.5 million ($11.643 million AAV) — his production has made this a fair value deal.

“I mean, he has taken to that market right from the outset; this is clearly where he wanted to be, and he has performed every moment out there,” Grimson said.

His impact was immediately felt with the Rangers, when he recorded a goal and assist in each of his first two games with the Blueshirts. This was a familiar scene for the Rangers, as Panarin scored in his first game with the Blackhawks against the Rangers back in October 2015.

From Oct. 24-Nov. 20 of 2019, Panarin had a 12-game point streak, recording 19 points (seven goals and 12 assists) over that span. You could not ask for a better start from one of the most sought-after free agents in the summer of 2019. He finished his first season in New York with 95 points (32 goals and 63 assists).

After a COVID-shortened season in which Panarin scored 58 points in 42 games, that projected to a 113-point campaign, he recorded 96 points (22 goals and 74 assists) in 75 games in 2021-22, helping the Rangers advance to the Eastern Conference Final in 2022.

In 2022-23, Panarin surpassed 90 points again, this time with 92 (29 goals and 63 assists). His consistent brilliance is remarkable.

Panarin also elevates his linemates. Just look at the career years Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere had playing alongside Panarin last season. That is what good players do. You usually see that from centers in the NHL, but as a winger, Panarin is one of the best.

“He is just equal parts great shot, fabulous distributor, tremendous skater, high hockey, IQ, but just a remarkable, remarkable player,” Grimson said. “You know, some players can drive tempo. This guy can do that and drives a line, but can drive a team. I mean, when he’s on, there’s an energy in that building, MSG, and across that bench that is really unlike any other. He is a special, special athlete.”

Grimson made his own list, ranking Panarin No. 2, and believes Lafreniere can crack the top 20 next season.

The four forwards that finished ahead of Panarin on the current NHL Network list were Kucherov (No. 1), Matthew Tkachuk of the Panthers (No. 2), Mikko Rantanen of the Avalanche (No. 3) and David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins (No. 4), who was first last summer.

Subscribe now on YouTube and be part of a community where passion for the New York Rankers knows no bounds!

More must-reads:

• Die-hard begs Rangers to honor Sam Rosen with this power-play plan
• Rangers rising star among top NHL wings under 23
• Controversial former Rangers defenseman clears air about Broadway tenure