Artemi Panarin exited another exhibition game with a lower-body injury.
It was the second time this preseason the star Russian wing was unable to finish a game due to a lower-body ailment, after he left in the third period of the Rangers’ 6-4 win over the Islanders last week.
In Tuesday’s night’s 5-4 win over the Devils, Panarin took just four shifts before he went to the locker room in the first period. The Rangers ruled him out for the remainder of the game at the start of the second.
“Players leave the game, there’s always concern,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “He’s being evaluated.”
Panarin had said he left the Islanders game out of precaution, especially since it is only preseason. But the fact that he couldn’t finish Tuesday night’s game, either, makes the situation a little more concerning.
It’s possible the Blueshirts are still playing it safe with Panarin, the club’s leading scorer since he pulled on a red, white and blue jersey in 2019-20.
No one has played more exhibition games for the Rangers this season than Brennan Othmann.
The Blueshirts’ 16th-overall pick in 2021 has clearly been a focal point of the preseason’s evaluation process, playing in all five preseason games, including the back-to-back home-and-home series against the Devils that concluded Tuesday night at MSG.
It has thrust both big opportunities and some pressure onto Othmann, and there’s been highs and lows to his training camp.
From skating on a line with Panarin and Filip Chytil, getting relatively consistent reps with the main group in practices and scoring a beautiful goal in the third exhibition game, Othmann has had ample chances to showcase his development.
Not making the most of some of the chances paired with a tough game against the Islanders in particular, however, have balanced it out.
“I think everyone that’s trying to make the team or trying to make an impact, in a sense, has a little bit of nerves,” Othmann said after the 5-2 win over Boston last week. “I think now, I’ve been here for maybe three weeks, almost a month now, so I’m getting used to everything again. I’m used to the players, all the NHL veterans and [Laviolette’s] system and everything now, too.
“I’m just going to take it day by day, move forward and see what happens the next coming days.”
Othmann chipped in two assists and two hits in Tuesday night’s victory in 12:47 of ice time.
The Rangers made a slew of roster moves Tuesday, beginning with assigning Jaroslav Chmelar, Bryce McConnell-Barker, Dylan Roobroeck and Adam Sykora to Hartford.
Blade Jenkins, Nate Sucese and Blake Hillman were released from their PTOs with the Rangers and also assigned to Hartford. Adam Erne and Madison Bowey are set to attend Wolf Pack training camp on PTOs.
Additionally, Louis Domingue, Anton Blidh, Brandon Scanlin and Casey Fitzgerald were put on waivers. If they clear, they’ll presumably be sent to Hartford.
Bubble defensemen Connor Mackey and Victor Mancini both scored Tuesday night, in addition to forwards Kaapo Kakko, Adam Edstrom and Vincent Trocheck.
Zac Jones and Bo Groulx also chipped in two assists each.
