Panarin’s Departure Leaves Rangers Reeling
Artemi Panarin’s recent trade has robbed the Rangers of their last vestiges of excitement and energy.
Now that the trade saga with Panarin, who is heading to the Kings, is over, the Rangers faced their last game before the NHL break for the Winter Olympics. General Manager Chris Drury is, of course, aware that he has a lot more to do to reshape the team for 2026-27 and the years ahead.
Thursday night’s game, a pre-Olympic finale, symbolized the state of the Blueshirts. They suffered a 2-0 defeat to the Hurricanes at home, which marked their fifth consecutive loss following Panarin’s absence.
This defeat also counted as the ninth shutout of the season—and oddly enough, the seventh on home ice.
Things have not been looking good for the last-place Rangers, who have struggled without their leading scorer. They lost twice last week against the Islanders and once to the Penguins before Wednesday’s trade.
“I think it’s finally over,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan commented before the game about Panarin’s departure. “Sometimes just the anxiety of uncertainty is harder to deal with than the final outcome. Now everyone can move on.”
Panarin, who signed a two-year, $22 million extension with Los Angeles this summer to avoid free agency, also includes a junior prospect, Liam Greentree, along with at least one conditional third-round draft pick that depends on how the Kings perform in the playoffs.
Sullivan expressed his well wishes for the 34-year-old Panarin after the news of the trade. He mentioned that he is “already addressing the situation” regarding possible additional trades. Right now, the team is sitting pretty low in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 3 wins, 13 losses, 2 overtime losses; overall, they’re at 22 wins, 29 losses, and 6 ties.
“It’s not easy, because we’re all in it to win,” Sullivan noted. “It’s a competitive league, and we all want to win. Without the ability to add our best players, we’re kind of stuck.”
While he acknowledged the tough spot they’re in, he emphasized that his job is to coach the players available each night.
Greentree, 20, is expected to complete the season in the OHL with Windsor, as the Rangers try to cover the substantial gap left by Panarin. Will Quill has stepped into Panarin’s role lately, skating alongside center Vincent Trocheck.
“We’re not looking to just add a player to replace Artemi,” Sullivan said. “What we aim to do is cultivate a team approach. I think we can manage better matchups and give ourselves fewer defensive gaps. This should allow us to generate offense. But you can’t just expect someone else to deliver what Artemi brought.”
During the game, Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov scored six minutes and 26 seconds in, capitalizing on a clearance error from Vladislav Gavrikov, giving the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead.
Mika Zibanejad almost tied things up later in the first period during a power play but hit the crossbar behind Carolina’s goaltender, Brandon Bussi, who made 16 saves in the game.
Jonathan Quick did his best to keep the Rangers in the game, making 42 saves despite the significant disparity in shots. Jordan Staal sealed the game with an empty-net goal in the final moments.
