Artemi Panarin is continuing to show that he hasn’t lost a step.
Going into the 2025-26 season, there were a lot of questions around Panarin’s future, given that he was without a contract extension past this season.
Well into his 30s, concerns about Panarin’s age and longevity were prevalent when it came to the argument of the New York Rangers giving him a long-term contract extension or opting to go in a different direction.
The noise around his contract situation became even louder when Panarin just didn’t look like himself to start the season.
A lower-body injury kept Panarin out for a good chunk of training camp, and his slow start to the season caught the attention of not just the local media, but the national media.
Panarin’s six-game pointless streak was when a very important question began to hover over everyone’s mind: Had Father Time finally caught up to Panarin?
Trade rumors ran rampant, and the reports indicating the Rangers’ patient approach regarding signing Panarin to a contract extension indicated the Russian superstar was losing leverage in negotiations.
Through this most recent stretch, Panarin has completely flipped the narrative.
It didn’t start on the ice. The 34-year-old decided to shave his head and proclaimed it was time for a change.
“I had to change something,” Panarin said about shaving his head. “Next stop, left stick for me.”
This actually wasn’t the first time he shaved his head as a symbol of individual change. Before the 2023-24 season, Panarin decided to shave his head so he could get a "fresh start" and "remove evil energy." He went on to have a career year, posting 49 goals, 71 assists, and 120 points.
Since shaving his head, Panarin has recorded three goals, six assists, and nine points over the Rangers’ last four games.
Rangers Bury Offensive Concerns With Another High-Scoring Performance
In a high scoring affair, the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a> came away with a 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.
Beyond just his stats, Panarin has seemed to be playing a lot more freely with the same magician-type hockey qualities we’ve been accustomed to seeing from him.
Panarin is proving that Father Time has not caught up to him just yet and he’s still worthy of being considered one of the most highly explosive offensive talents in the NHL.
While Panarin still isn’t guaranteed to get the long-term contract extension he is coveting from the Rangers, he’s continuing to make a strong case for why he’s the Blueshirts’ most valuable player.