As the ink dried on his deal, the signing of Artemi Panarin cemented two key factors the Rangers will need to deal with in the coming weeks and months heading into next season.
The first — bordering on the obvious — is that the short-term expectations of the team have clearly hastened, with the playoffs less of a long shot and more of a goal next season, at least as a wild card seed. The second — a direct affect of Panarin’s decision — is that the Rangers will now need to move bodies to accommodate his $11.