The smile on Artemi Panarin’s face is contagious. The wrists on his arms are filthy. Trying to balance the contrasting elements of the man (inviting, scary) is the tough part.
It’s perhaps the only tough part about Panarin’s arrival in the big city. The Rangers’ leading scorer has had an incredible first season on Broadway.
The 28-year-old has been scoring goals and piling up the points this season. The Rangers haven’t had an offensive talent of this kind since Jaromir Jagr over a decade ago. Before that, maybe Wayne Gretzky.
Panarin is that next guy—the man who makes the Garden oh and ah every time the World’s Most Famous Arena hosts a hockey game.