Artemi Panarin didn’t just return to Madison Square Garden on Monday night. He owned it.
In the Rangers’ 6-3 loss, Panarin delivered a goal and an assist while former New York bench boss Peter Laviolette watched the damage unfold. The building had that familiar sense before the puck even dropped, and No. 10 backed it up with the kind of night Rangers fans know all too well. The only thing missing was his high-kick celebration.
His goal was classic Panarin. On the power play early in the second period, he drifted into his usual spot near the left faceoff circle, then stepped in with traffic in front of rookie goalie Dylan Garand and ripped a shot blocker side. It was the same look, the same release, the same kind of finish that made him such a dangerous weapon in New York for five seasons.
That’s what made the scene sting a little more for the Rangers. President and General Manager Chris Drury moved on from Panarin last season, a decision that made sense on paper given Panarin’s age and the team’s need to open up cap space and retool. Over the summer, the club used that money on Pavel Dorofeyev, giving him a seven-year deal with an $11 million AAV in hopes of swapping out Panarin’s production for a younger scorer.
A month into the 2026-27 season, that plan looks upside down.
Panarin has been rolling in Los Angeles, piling up seven goals and four assists for 11 points in 10 games while carrying a Kings offense that has needed him. Dorofeyev has had a far rougher start in New York, with three goals in 14 games, a minus-13 rating, and a move to the third line by Mike Sullivan during Saturday’s loss in Ottawa.
The Rangers weren’t technically trading one for the other. In the original move, New York got prospect Liam Greentree and draft capital from Los Angeles.
But the money trail tells the bigger story. The Rangers committed franchise-winger money to Dorofeyev because they wanted the kind of elite finishing Panarin provided, and so far that exchange has gone the wrong way.
Dorofeyev has had chances, and he’s even rung the post, but the puck just hasn’t gone in. Panarin, meanwhile, keeps looking like one of the cleanest, most dangerous finishers in the league.
For New York, seeing him light up the Garden was one thing. Watching the player meant to replace that production struggle to find his footing was the harder part. The Rangers head into an extended break still searching for balance, and they need Dorofeyev to start scoring before the early frustration grows into something bigger.
In Other News...
Rangers Still Have One Big Pavel Dorofeyev Debate Hanging Over Them
The Rangers have enough problems without having to worry about one of their big offseason additions, but Pavel Dorofeyevs early stretch in New York has become part of the conversation anyway. In a season where the club has dropped five of its last six and has had to navigate the ripple effects of Igor Shesterkins injury along with its own defensive issues, Dorofeyevs adjustment has been closely watched because he was brought in to help add more bite to the attack.
His numbers through 14 games have lagged a bit behind what he showed with the Vegas Golden Knights, but there are signs he is settling in. Dorofeyev has started to flash more of the offense the Rangers expected, and his recent run of productivity suggests this is still a work in progress rather than a finished judgment on the move. The bigger question now is whether the Rangers can count on that trend to keep building as they try to steady themselves. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Prospects Are Starting To Build Real Momentum Overseas
A handful of Rangers prospects kept busy overseas last week, and there were signs that the organizations development pipeline is starting to pick up some real traction. Rico Gredig got on the board for EV Zug in Switzerland, while Mikkel Eriksen continued to hold a prominent role for Frjestad BK in Sweden, where he has been seeing top-six minutes and finding ways to stay involved offensively.
For a Rangers system that is always under the microscope, those kinds of updates matter because they show more than just ice time. Gredigs first goal of the season and Eriksens steady work in Sweden were part of a broader stretch that also included other prospects getting reps in their own leagues, a useful sign that several young players are building confidence at once rather than waiting for one breakout to carry the group. [Read more 🡒]
Tye Kartyes Breakout Is Giving The Rangers A Real Lineup Dilemma
Tye Kartye has turned a low-profile waiver claim into one of the more interesting storylines around the Rangers in the early going. Since arriving from Seattle late last season, he has shown a clear offensive jump, and his underlying numbers suggest he has been driving play well enough to back up the production. For a team always looking for useful depth without losing pace or edge, that kind of emergence tends to get noticed quickly.
The bigger question now is where Kartye fits as the lineup starts to sort itself out. The coaching staff has been shuffling his line combinations to find the best way to use him, which is a good problem to have but still a problem all the same. If he keeps producing at this level, the Rangers will have to decide whether his place is as a fixture in a scoring role or as part of a more flexible, moving puzzle. [Read more 🡒]