Artemi Panarin got the team he wanted, then got his money, and now he’s making his voice heard back in his native Russia by ripping into authoritative president Vladimir Putin.
The Rangers’ new winger, who signed a seven-year, $81.5 million deal at the opening of free agency a few weeks ago, came out with some of the most biting comments — if not the most biting comments — of any Russian athlete against Putin. Despite the possibility of repercussions coming for Panarin, the 27-year-old from the small town of Korkino, held nothing back when speaking with the Vsemu Golovin YouTube channel.