Artemi Panarin injury: Rangers HC provides latest update on Russian winger

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Sep 26, 2023 21:08 GMT

The New York Rangers received some mixed news on the injury front on Tuesday, with Artemi Panarin and Filip Chytil both missing practice with lower-body injuries.

Mika Zibanejad, who had been dealing with an upper-body injury, was a full participant in practice and is expected to play in the Rangers' second preseason game against the Islanders on Tuesday night.

Head coach Peter Laviolette said he expects both Artemi Panarin and Chytil to be able to play in the regular season, but he did not provide a timeline for their return.

"We're hoping day-to-day. Just in general, I think with exhibition games, I think you want to just err on the side of caution and keep guys healthy."

Preseason games play a crucial role in evaluating players, especially younger talents looking to secure spots on the roster. Laviolette acknowledged that he places greater emphasis on these exhibition games, even if they are scrimmages, as they provide valuable insights into player performance.

The coach's strategy involves gradually integrating veteran players into preseason action while allowing younger players to gain more experience.

“I definitely see more in those [exhibition] games, even if they’re scrimmages"

“So, from an evaluation standpoint, I said that when I started camp on why I did it the way that I did it. I think that you see the most inside of a game against another opponent. I think you see the most in a scrimmage, if the scrimmage is competitive against your own team. And then in practice, you get to see skill in drills and stuff like that, which is good.”

Apart from Artemi Panarin, what is the Rangers' goaltending situation?

HC Laviolette also provided an update on the Rangers' goaltending situation, saying that he expects Igor Shesterkin to start in the first preseason game at MSG, with Dylan Garand backing him up.

"There's a plan in place for these guys," Laviolette said. "As it progresses, you'll start to see – we got the back-to-back coming up so it might be still split a little bit – more of our guys as camp moves on in the lineup together.

"With regard to Jonathan and Igor, they'll work their way into it the first time and they'll probably get most of the game and then from there, they'll work two full games."

The Rangers will be looking to bounce back on Tuesday night after falling to the Bruins 3-0 in their preseason opener on Saturday.