THN Writers Poll: Criticism of Artemi Panarin Harsh, Fox Tied for 2nd in Norris Voting, Lafreniere Tied 2nd for Breakout Player

The Hockey News released its pre-season poll results, broken into three categories: trophies, expectations, and miscellaneous.

Scrolling through the seemingly endless list of responses, percentages, and names that paint the list, Artemi Panarin's is completely absent. 

The milk carton winger apparently has vanished from expectation according to The Hockey News staff, not listed in the bullets following the Hart Trophy, Art Ross, Rocket Richard, Conn Smyth, and challenger of McDavid (scoring title).

For the Hart Trophy, Connor McDavid gobbled up 26 of the 34 votes (as well as 33 of 34 votes for the Ted Lindsay Award). The only other players that received votes were Leon Draisaitl and Nathan Mackinnon with 2 votes each.

The Rocket Richard featured a mix of players, McDavid controlling thirty-eight percent of the pizza pie, and seven other players receiving votes. Among them are Auston Matthews, Alexander Ovechkin, Jason Robertson, Nathan Mackinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and David Pastrnak.

Artemi Panarin struggled in 7  games of the 2023 post-season. That goes without saying, and he took accountability for his play. 

In regards to his neglect from the poll, this is a skater who is 4th in points (341) over the last four seasons. That is only 16 less than Mackinnon (357). He is 3rd in assists in that span (241), and 38th in goals (100). 

The Bread Man's potential next season is, to put it mildly, overlooked by our writing staff.

Igor Shesterkin received seven votes and was tied for 3rd place with Juuse Saros for the Vezina Trophy. Shesterkin won the prestigious award in 2022 and placed 8th in Vezina voting in 2023. “The Czar “ was also 5th in Calder voting in 2021.

Adam Fox, the Brad Park to Makar’s Orr, received four votes, tied for second with Rasmus Dahlin and Miro Heiskanen. The Jericho native already has a Norris Trophy on his bookshelf from the 2021 season.

Alexis Lafreniere also made waves as a "player due to a breakout". He earned three votes, tied with the player drafted directly after him by the Los Angeles Kings Quinton Byfield. Caulfield bested the 2020 first and second-overall picks with 4 votes as the number one choice.  Following the top three candidates, 11 other players received votes.

Peter Laviolette did not appear on the results board for the Jack Adams Award. Blake Wheeler did not receive any votes for a player in a “change of scenery.” His lack of recognition is a glass-half-full scenario though, as the expectation for his play appears to remain the same among those polled despite the narrative that he may drastically fall off. 

The New York Rangers appeared as a team once, receiving one vote for 5th place in the President’s Trophy prediction.

Following the first few days of training camp, they might lay waste to this poll. Only time will tell in this tightly contested Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference.