As we are now in the second half of August, we are now less than a month before the opening of training camp. While the official training camp dates have not been released, it’s assumed the team will begin practicing in Tarrytown a week before their preseason opener, which is scheduled for September 24th in Boston. That means the end of summer is unfortunately rapidly approaching but hockey is on the horizon.
To help pass the time, I posted my off-season questions, a list supplemented by a few readers. Below, I have added in the links to the questions I believe we have covered already. Please take a look - and let me know if off-base and if any additional questions besides those without links - remain unanswered.
In this blog I cover question:
6) Has Artemi Panarin's playoff struggles soured you on him enough that he should be dealt?
If New York was really interested in dealing Panarin, that move would have been made already. But because the team has not found a trading partner and/or Panarin was unwilling to waive his no-movement clause doesn't mean that management has changed his view on him. It's well-known that the reports after the 2022 playoffs were that GM Chris Drury was not happy with Panarin, Given the debacle that was his series against the Devils last year, it's not a major stretch to think Drury is even less than thrilled with Panarin now.
Jonny Lazarus, who covers the Rangers for The Hockey News, posted a column on Panarin, focusing on his regular success. There is no question Panarin has crushed it in the regular season, posting 100 goals along with 241 assists for a total of 341 points in 268 games since he joined the Rangers as a free agent four years ago. All those numbers are wonderful and the Blueshirts would not have made the postseason if not for his success during the year.....
But legends are made and reputations burnished in the playoffs. You can still be viewed as an elite playoff based on regular season production. To be thought of in the pantheon of the league, both now and with the all-time greats, all that really matters is the postseason. Panarin had one stellar moment, scoring the OT goal in game 7 to defeat the Penguins. Beyond that has been little.
Whether it's succumbing to the pressure that comes with the postseason or heaping pressure on yourself to be great, Panarin has looked like a deer in the headlights. That includes the play-in series against Carolina. As Lazarus noted, Panarin has not always struggled in the postseason. He tallied eight points in 11 postseason games under Joel Quenneville in Chicago and he also helped lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to one of the biggest upsets in NHL history, when they defeated Tampa Bay in the first round of the playoff, adding 18 points in 16 playoff games under John Tortorella.
Are the bright lights of Broadway too harsh? Is Panarin trying so hard to succeed or not make a mistake - as he said after the 2022 playoffs - that he is playing tentatively? Is it all of the above? My view is that he needs to get out of his own head and just play. Maybe Peter Laviolette will help unlock his regular season self and block out all the extra noise and pressure. If Panarin can have success initially in round 1, that could lead to success the rest of the way. But if he repeats the same performance this year as he did the prior two seasons, then a trade might need to be considered, even though I am not a proponent as of now of that move.
What say you? Would you deal Panarin now or if he has another playoff struggle?
Top Offseason Questions:
1) Will and should Gerard Gallant be fired? Gallant fired
2) If Gallant is let go, should the Rangers target a young coach or retread? Covered here, here, here, here, here
3) Which of the team's free agents - if any - would you bring back? Free agency covered here
4) Is Jaroslav Halak the best option as the back up goalie? Covered as Jonathan Quick signed with the team he rooted for as a kid
5) Is Filip Chytil a center or a winger? if a center, should he center the second line? (Chytil at C or W)
6) Has Artemi Panarin's playoff struggles soured you on him enough that he should be dealt? (see this blog)
7) Any concerns that Mika Zibanajed is not a playoff performer and puts up his numbers mainly on the PP and against weaker opponents?
8) Did Alexis Lafreniere show enough 5x5 to be moved to the top-six and do you view him as a first line right winger? How many years and how much salary would you sign him to in his next contract? (Laf contract close)
9) Should New York add a veteran blueliner or try Zac Jones or Matthew Robertson as the sixth d-man? Covered as Erik Gustafsson signed with the Rangers
10) Will Brennan Othmann and/or Will Cuylle be given a REAL chance to make the squad this summer or will the Rangers opt to not rush the youngsters? Both are on their ELCs and are listed as LW. If they do make the roster, then who gets moved out? Pretty much covered in free agent signing blog. But happy to discuss it further in another blog.
11) Are the Rangers built to compete for the Stanley Cup? What about compared to Carolina or New Jersey for the division?
12) How do you want the third and/ fourth lines to look? Do they need to be a traditional bottom-six or should the third line be more of a scoring line?
13) Who would you have targeted in free agency given the minimal cap space available?
14) Is K'Andre Miller worth a long-term deal? Would you go one year and then sign him to an extension in January with the cap rising? How about a two-year deal with a $4 mil cap hit? Covered in K'Andre Miller signs two-year deal.
15) What's the biggest gap/issue with the team that needs to be fixed for them to be a true Cup contender?
16) To what extent do you think analytics should be used in roster/line/pair decisions? (Mark Weissman) Covered in Analytics vs. eye test
17) Do you think too much emphasis is put on what other orgs are doing? (by mgmt? coaches? players? fans?) (Mark Weissman) Covered here
18) What will be/should be the power play deployment based on the current roster (TJ)More to come. Covered in Who should man the PP
19) How do you want the makeup of the assistant coaches to look? Veterans? New faces? Mixture of both? (This has also already been answered with the hiring of Phil Housley, Don Mase and Michael Peca. A nice mixture of a coach that has been around a while in the NHL, one who has some but not a ton of experience and a new coach, but one who was a captain and brings recent experience to the table)
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