Artemi Panarin is having a magical season for the Eastern Conference leading Rangers. He has been their best player all season long, as he leads the team in goals, assists, and points. But looking at the rest of the league, there are guys having better seasons than him. That, however, doesn’t diminish what he’s done up to this point. He isn’t going to win the Hart Trophy as the leagues Most Valuable Player, but there is definitely a case to be made for the Bread Man.
So far this season, Panarin has 99 points, which ranks tied for 4th with Bruins superstar David Pastranak. His 43 goals, (a new career high by the way), ranks 6th. And he is still towards the top of the league in assists, as he is 9th in the league in that category, having 56 apples on the year. But how exactly has he improved this much, especially in the goal scoring category? Let’s dive in…
At the 71 game mark of this season, Panarin has 31 even strength goals. That number already shattered his career high of 25, when he finished third in Hart Trophy voting during the 2019-20 season. He is also shooting with a lot more volume this season. Part of that could be in part to the fact that he has 256 shots on goal this season. That is an average of about 3.6 per game. Before this season, his previous career high was actually with the Blue Jackets in the 2017 season, where he registered 228. You would have to go back to that same 2019-20 Hart caliber season to find Panarin’s highest shot total as a Ranger, when he had 209 and 32 goals. During this year’s campaign, he is shooting at a mark of 16.8 percent, yet another career high. So what is the main reason for the success Panarin is having this season? Well look no further than him shooting the puck at will. Unironically, his two best seasons as a Rangers were when he was more of a sniper rather than a playmaker.
Well, The Bread Man is having an amazing season, but there are also some other players who are having great offensive seasons. Below, are some notable players and their ranks this season:
Nikita Kucherov: 41 goals (tied for 7th), 82 assists (2nd), 123 points (1st). The Lightning forward is having an unreal season, and he is looking for his second career Hart Trophy, winning the other in 2018, when he got 128 points. Arguably the best passer in the world, and like Panarin, is elevating his game from a goal scoring perspective.
Nathan MacKinnon: 44 goals (tied for 4th), 78 assists (3rd), 122 points (2nd). MacKinnon and Kucherov have been going at it all season as the leagues two best players. The Avalanche forward is looking for his first Hart Trophy. Many believe him to be the second best in the world.
Connor McDavid: 26 goals (tied for 39th), 89 assists (1st), 115 points (3rd). What else is there to say about McDavid? He is on pace for 107 (!!!) assists this season, something that only a handful of legends have done in the history of the NHL. His “down” year as a goal scorer, would still be a career year for most. The assists, on the other hand, are otherworldly. He is the best in the world for a reason.
Auston Matthews: 58 goals (1st), 33 assists (76th), 91 points (tied for 8th). Matthews is the best goal scorer in the league right now, and is already one of the greatest of all time. He is one of the only players who have a shot to break Gretzky’s record of 895.
We can all agree that Artemi Panarin is having an unreal season, and can arguably be one of the best ever in the Rangers history, but it is hard to put him ahead of any of these guys in the Hart discussion. If the Rangers can win the Presidents Trophy and Panarin can maybe get to 50 goals or 110 points, maybe he can jump ahead of one of them.
But do not worry Rangers fans, there are definitely many writers aware of what The Bread Man is doing this season, and it would not shock me one bit if he gets a handful of votes sprinkled into the top 3. Lets not take this season for granted. Artemi Panarin is already a franchise great and has only been on the team for not even five full seasons. That’s how special he’s been throughout his tenure…
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