Artemi Panarin is off to a flying start to the season for the New York Rangers with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in six games. It has the forward on pace for 164 points, a number reached or surpassed only by Wayne Gretzky (eight times) and Mario Lemieux (twice).
Panarin had an NHL career-high 96 points (22 goals, 74 assists) in 75 games last season, and had the 2019-20 season not been cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, he probably would have reached 100. He finished with 95 points. (32 goals, 63 assists) in 69 games.
The highly skilled passer has had two four-point games and at least one point in each of his six games this season. He’ll try to add to that total when the Rangers (3-2-1) host the Colorado Avalanche (3-2-1) on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+).
But will Panarin hit 100 points this season?
That is the question before NHL.com writers Mike Morreale and Dan Rosen in this installment of State Your Case.
Morreale: Let me begin this debate with a disclaimer: Panarin might be the best playmaker in the NHL. He’s so fun to watch. He’ll also turn 31 on Sunday and is in his eighth NHL season, so the slick moves and pace he’s maintained throughout his career may not keep up as the 82-game season unfolds. In other words, it’s unlikely to me he’ll maintain his current scoring clip, so he won’t reach 100 points this season. Sure, he’s coming off an NHL career-high in points last season, but there’s a lot more pucks to go around in New York. Heck, center Mika Zibanejad is also a fine candidate to finish with 100 points, and let’s not forget that forwards Chris Kreider, Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakkoand Vincent Trocheck also will be earning big minutes at even strength and on the power play, thus spending plenty of time in the offensive end. Additionally, New York will play 25 more games against teams from the tough Metropolitan Division, so time and space will be limited against those teams built on taking it away.
Video: Top plays from Artemi Panarin in 2022-23 so far
Rosen: Panarin is a lock for 100 points this season. As Mike astutely pointed out, he had 96 seasons and that was in 75 games. It was, in fact, rare for Panarin to miss seven games in an 82-game season. He missed a total of six games in his first four 82-game seasons, all of the 82-game variety. He then played in all 69 games for the Rangers in the shortened 2019-20 season. He missed 14 games in 2020-21, but nine were a result of a leave of absence he took for personal reasons. The fact is he’s in great shape, he’s not old, and he’s one of the best playmakers in the NHL. The Rangers power play is elite and Panarin has the best vision on it. He is developing chemistry with Trocheck, who signed as a free agent in the offseason, and the addition of Lafreniere as the right wing on their line seems to be working. He has 12 points in six games. He’ll slow down, but that means he won’t continue at a 164-point pace all season. But the century mark will be a cinch.
Morreale: Dan makes valid points, but keep in mind Rangers coach Gerard Gallant has never had a 100-point scorer on his team in his 10 seasons as an NHL coach. That includes stints with the Columbus Blue Jackets when Rick Nash and Sergei Fedorov were catalysts; when the Florida Panthers Jonathan Huberdeau, Alexander Barkov and even Jaromir Jagr was there; and the Vegas Golden Knights when Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone and Jonathan Marchessault ruled the offensive roost. My point here is that although Panarin is an offensive dynamo, Gallant’s demands as a coach may not allow him to hit the century mark, especially when New York has a young, developing, defense core. Gallant looks at the big picture and for the Rangers it’s not about having Panarin reach 100 points. It’s team defense first, and then generating the offense required to win hockey games. This is how he’ll have New York primed and ready for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which, by the way, is most paramount to the 59-year-old coach.
Rosen: We can’t look at Gallant’s past teams as a gauge to what Panarin can do this season. I mean, he had 96 points in 75 games last season. He’s the best point producer Gallant has ever coached. Nash was never near a 100-point player in the NHL (his highest was 79 in 2008-09). Fedorov was 36 years old and well past his prime when Gallant had him in Columbus. Huberdeau and Barkov weren’t the players they are today when Gallant was in Florida. Jagr? I’m not even going there. He was already in his 40s when Gallant coached him. And Pacioretty, Stone and Marchessault are not and never will be 100-point players. But Panarin will be this season because he’s seeing the ice well, producing on the power play (six of his 12 points) and he seems to be willing to shoot more than he did last season. He has 16 shots on goal, including three games with at least four shots. That’s 50 percent of his games. He had four or more shots in about 25 percent of his games last season (19 of 75). A shooting mentality is key for Panarin. He’s more dangerous when the opponent has to defend against his shot as well as his pass. It makes him unpredictable, the opposite of this debate. It was predictable that I would win it, which I have. Case closed.
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