Artemiy Panarin is a Hart Trophy finalist along with Leon Draisaitl and Nathan MacKinnon. The same three were elected by their peers as finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award last week. An argument most certainly could be made that David Patsrnak was deserving to be one of the finalists due to the fine campaign he had.
The finalists. Panarin was third in the league in points and led the league in 5x5 points, each of which played a big part in his selection. In addition, he carried the team earlier this season, doing so with panache and flair, while also lifting up Ryan Strome's game and output. Ironically, if the season played out to the finish, it's possible Panarin may have lost some votes because Mika Zibanejad was on an absolute roll when play stopped. If Zib continued his hot stretch, he potentially would have siphoned away some MVP votes, same if NY failed to make the playoffs. But Draisaitl has Connor McDavid to take pressure off him and Pastrnak is hurt slightly, possibly unfairly, by skating with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Meaning, that three of the probable top four all had impediments to selection.
I hope Panarin wins, but I think Draisaitl will. If going by "most valuable," then MacKinnon should probbaly be the one since he carried the Colorado team when they had their myriad of injuries, including Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. Should be a close vote between the three finalists.
Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, and Artemi Panarin have been named finalists for the Hart Trophy. ðŸ†
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 21, 2020
Who do you think should win? pic.twitter.com/iJfpcwqYNe
Hartemi:
That's #Hartemi to you. pic.twitter.com/KiHaaKncbS
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 21, 2020
A graphical look at Panarin's season compared to Draisaitl and MacKinnon. I know this type of look is not a favorite amongst those that frequent the site, but provides a pretty good representation of just how good Panarin was in his first year in New York. His earning a finalist nomination was most certainly warranted:
Your Hart trophy finalists! pic.twitter.com/I3vRFpyri1
— Evolving-Hockey (@EvolvingHockey) July 21, 2020
In terms of camp news, the big happening of the day was the return of Pavel Buchnevich to practice. With him back on the ice, the lines were restored to usual. Kaapo Kakko slid back to the third line with Julien Gauthier to the fourth. As mentioned yesterday, I could see both players moved up with Quickie sliding down if the team is looking for offense and Kakko plays as he has so far in camp.
Kreider - Zibanejad - Buchnevich Panarin - Strome - Fast PDG - Chytil - Kakko Howden - McKegg - Gauthier Brendan Lemiuex, suspended the first two games, was rotated in, though Steven Fogarty looks to be the next man up with Lemiuex to be out.
Smith - Trouba Lindgren - Fox Staal - DeAngelo Libor Hajek is next in line with K'Andre Miller rotating in.
The first line power play remained intact with Panarin, Zib, Strome, Kreider and DeAngelo. The second unit saw players shuffled in and out. Fox is on the point and Buchnevich is kind of locked in. We would expect the same with Kakko and Chyti, each of whom will play key roles in the success of the second PP unit. Brett Howden saw some run in Lemiuex's spot today, though I would try Gauthier as a net front presence rather than Howden. More on this to come in a future blog before the play-in-round starts.
Broadcast information for the first weekend and five days of the playoffs was announced today. The Rangers will be on NBCSN for each of their first three games, even though their August 4 start time on prime time in the East Coast. Only two games - both of which are on Saturday August 1 - will be on NBC; Chicago-Edmonton at 3PM and montreal-Pittsburgh at 8PM. The remainder are largely on NBCSN with two contests airing on USA Network. Maybe once the "playoffs" start, games with be on NBC proper, which we thought be the case due to the opening created in the calendar and schedule by the move of the Olympics to 2021.
The @NHL has announced the 2020 #StanleyCup Qualifiers North American broadcast schedule including a 10-game opening weekend. Full Broadcast Schedule: https://t.co/hmUwsKJdQY pic.twitter.com/kb0XGIzQyC
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) July 21, 2020
NBC Sports will present up to 120 hours of NHL 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers coverage on NBC, NBCSN and USA Network starting August 1.
— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) July 21, 2020
10-plus hours of NHL game coverage every day August 1-5.
More info: https://t.co/a4BP4YkRbU pic.twitter.com/0FI2fuZf2u
Not a bad free agent signing. :) I still think if the Rangers were healthy - they were without Alexei Kovalev, Nklas Sundstrom and Alexander Karpovtsev - they would have beaten Philly in the ECF in 1997. Unsure they would have had a better chance in the finals against Detroit, but I sure would have loved to see New York have the opportunity.
24 years ago today, the Rangers signed Wayne Gretzky.
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) July 21, 2020
He would record 249 points in 234 regular season games as a Ranger, including the final hat trick of his career - #50.pic.twitter.com/g5D8Ip2jOq