It doesn’t look like Artemi Panarin can do better than the 128-point season he had last year, but he’s on pace to break his best statistical year.
Through the first four games of the 2024-25 season, Panarin has recorded five goals, six assists and 11 points.
He is currently tied for the most points in the NHL alongside Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin.
The 32-year-old forward was the main catalyst that propelled the Rangers to an impressive 3-0-1 record.
Even though it’s still very early in the year, it’s hard not to imagine what Panarin can accomplish this season if he continues on this current trajectory.
It seems like Panarin contributes to almost every Rangers goal and every time he steps on the ice, his presence is felt in a big way.
Panarin’s rocket shot was on full display and his flashy stickhandling moves are something to admire.
“He’s almost always active,” Vincent Trocheck said via Mollie Walker of the New York Post. “There’s really nothing you have to look for to know, you can just see it on the ice.”
In the way too early rankings for the Hart Trophy, Panarin has to be at the top of the list because he plays like the best player in the NHL.
There’s still a lot of hockey left to be played, almost an entire season’s worth, but based on Panarin’s track record, it’s safe to assume he’ll continue to light up the stat sheet and create a spectacle for the fans every night .
