Panarin returns to Rangers practice, cleared to contact but preseason debut remains uncertain

Artemi Panarin returned to Rangers practice Friday after missing a week with a lower-body injury, skating with the team at the MSG Training Center in a red non-contact jersey during the opening session. The club said Panarin has been cleared to give and receive contact, though his status for the upcoming preseason remains uncertain.

"In a perfect world, we'd like to get him into a game or two," Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan said after practice. "But a lot of it is going to depend on where he is. Certainly, we’ll err on the side of caution." Panarin was held out of the first three exhibition games as a precaution, and it remains unclear when he might make his preseason debut. He has led the Rangers in points in every season since signing as a free agent in 2019-20.

Panarin's return comes as the club continues to evaluate lines and pairings during camp. Sullivan indicated he would like to see established players in exhibition action, though the number of games Panarin will participate in will be determined by his progress. "I wouldn’t say it doesn’t matter," he said. "Obviously, if there’s chemistry amongst groups, we try to take advantage of that. And then, the other aspect of it is, we’ve got to make decisions with lefty-righty combinations or righty-righty combinations. … It all depends on what we explore here moving forward and what we see in the types of combinations that potentially we could put together that will give us balance. But also, from a matchup standpoint, give us an opportunity to put pairs together that we think help us in that capacity. Our intention is to explore some options and just watch and see what we have and then try to make decisions accordingly."

On Friday, Panarin skated on a line with Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière, a group the team has used in practice as it rebuilds its forward combinations after Panarin’s absence. The defense corps has also seen activity, with Vladislav Gavrikov and Adam Fox as the recognized top pair, while the rest of the group has rotated; Will Borgen, Braden Schneider, Urho Vaakanainen, Carson Soucy and Scott Morrow getting looks at various times.

The club’s broader camp roster includes prospects from the Hartford group, with Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann flanking Dylan Roobroeck in several drills. Those looks are part of an ongoing effort to balance the lineup and test depth while Panarin’s status remains a key variable for how the Rangers approach preseason and the early regular season.

Panarin’s return to practice marks a positive step for New York as it navigates a tight training camp schedule and the push toward left- and right-handed balance, as well as the role Panarin will play in the top six once the season begins. Coaches and players will continue to monitor his progression toward full contact and full-speed game action, with decisions on game-ready status likely to come in the coming days and weeks as he continues to ramp up his workload.