Artemi Panarin is garnering some respect after his historic year.
This past season, Panarin recorded 49 goals, 71 assists and 120 points in 82 games for the New York Rangers. It was his best statistical season of his career and it did not go unnoticed.
When talking about the best wingers in the league on NHL Network, Stu Grimson ranked the 32-year-old forward second only behind Nikita Kucherov.
Grimson even feels that Panarin’s 120-point season propels him over Matthew Tkachuk who just recently won the Stanley Cup.
“A couple of my notables, you might say,” Grimson said. “I had Panarin at the number two. No knock on Matthew Tkachuk, but he did have a bit of an off year this year, and I really thought it was important to pay homage to Panarin for his 120-point campaign, a brilliant year in his own right.”
The stats speak for themselves, but it’s what Panarin displays on the ice that is truly the most impressive part about his game.
Panarin’s puck handling skills are second to none as he is easily able to juke his opponents while being able to facilitate for his teammates from virtually anywhere.
“While dabble across the line. Inch across that line when you can bust through the ceiling. Three 90-point seasons across his career. Two 80-point seasons across his career,” Grimson said. “And if you weren’t believing then you know that this was superhero status. Artemi Panarin, “The Breadman,” like we said, just shatters the ceiling with a 120-point campaign…
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“Again, he’s got that unique flair to him, the skating ability, I think, is an important part of why he’s able to drive line/team in the way that he does. But again, the equipment to do highly skilled things while playing at a very high tempo, a unique talent across our game, and astonishing in this respect, 120-point season. And would you believe there’s four guys ahead of him on this list?”
Panarin continues to show why he is a top winger in the NHL and who knows, maybe next year he’ll leapfrog Kucherov for that No. 1 spot.
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