Let’s remember this. For all of the good intentions and common sense displayed by David Quinn in anointing Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich as the Rangers’ first line, a year ago the coach opened with Chris Kreider on the left with Zibanejad and Buchnevich as the top unit … and stayed with it for all of two games.
So yes, though this year’s troika likely will have more staying power than last season’s top trio, nothing is set in concrete. The fact is, it will be up to Buchnevich to protect his assignment after being unable to do so last year, when he journeyed from the first line to the fourth and all points in between in a learning year.