The New York Rangers could be forced to rediscover their offense and try to return to the win column Thursday night against the St. Louis Blues without Artemi Panarin. The team’s leading scorer is dealing with an illness and is considered a game-time decision after missing the morning skate at Enterprise Center.
Panarin has totaled 34 points this season, scoring 11 goals and adding 23 assists while appearing in all 35 games. The 34-year-old has been one of the league’s most reliable players, having missed only two games since the start of the 2022–23 season. Since signing a seven-year, $81.5 million free-agent contract in July 2019, he has led the Rangers in scoring in each of his first six seasons with the club.
Even with his production being less consistent at times this year, the possibility of Panarin being out of the lineup is a significant concern. The Rangers enter the matchup with a 16-15-4 record and are averaging just 2.51 goals per game, ranking 29th among the NHL’s 32 teams. New York was shut out 3-0 at home by the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, capping a frustrating back-to-back at Madison Square Garden after a 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks the night before.
The Rangers have been blanked seven times this season, six of which have come on home ice. Although they lead the league with 12 road victories, their most recent road game also ended in a shutout loss, falling to the Chicago Blackhawks eight days ago.
If Panarin is unable to suit up against the Blues, New York will look to help from the minors. The Rangers recalled Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann from the American Hockey League’s Hartford Wolf Pack on Wednesday. Neither former first-round pick has scored an NHL goal yet in a combined 34 games, but both bring notable offensive potential.
Perreault leads Hartford with 10 goals and 17 points in 20 games during his rookie professional season and recorded his first NHL point, an assist, during a brief three-game stint earlier this year. Othmann scored 21 goals for Hartford two seasons ago and had three goals in his last four AHL games prior to this recall.
The Blues, who are 13-15-7, are one of only three teams scoring fewer goals than the Rangers. St. Louis ranks 31st in the league at 2.49 goals per game and owns the NHL’s worst goal differential at minus 36.
Despite those struggles, the Blues have managed to win two of their last three games, scoring just six total goals in that span. They are coming off a 1-0 home victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday in the first game of a back-to-back.
Joel Hofer recorded the shutout against Winnipeg, making it likely that Jordan Binnington will start against New York. Igor Shesterkin is expected to be in goal for the Rangers.
3 storylines when Rangers visit Blues
1. Going fourth
The Rangers skipped line rushes at the morning skate, but Brennan Othmann said he’s expected to line up on the fourth unit alongside Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe. If head coach Mike Sullivan leans on that trio for meaningful minutes, it could inject some badly needed jump into the lineup. At his best, Othmann plays with edge and physicality, traits that often spark offense.
Ideally, Othmann would see time in the top nine. Still, Sullivan’s trust in Carrick and Rempe could help Othmann earn that same confidence and avoid being limited to just a few shifts.
After a sluggish start that fueled trade speculation, the 22 year old has found his stride in Hartford, recording five points over his last seven games, including four goals. “The last two or three weeks it’s been trending upwards,” Othmann said following the skate. “I feel like I’ve been playing pretty good hockey in Hartford and getting good feedback from the top of the organization to the bottom.”
There’s still no clarity on where Perreault will slot in Thursday, though a top six role appears likely regardless of Artemi Panarin’s status. Perreault also worked with the second power play unit during the morning session.
2. Hit parade
Beyond their scoring struggles, the Rangers and Blues share another defining trait. They rank among the NHL’s most physical teams by one key metric. New York leads the league with 927 hits, while St. Louis sits fourth with 820.
Will Cuylle once again paces the Rangers and ranks third league wide, delivering 121 hits through 35 games. A season ago, Cuylle set a franchise mark with 301 hits, tied for third across the NHL.
For the Blues, Nathan Walker leads the way with 95 hits and averages an eye popping 18.05 hits per 60 minutes. Dylan Holloway follows closely with 91. Neither forward will dress Thursday. Walker remains sidelined long term with an upper body injury, and Holloway is out after suffering an ankle injury that will keep him off the ice for roughly six weeks.
3. Did you see the red Fox?
It won’t impact Thursday’s matchup, but it was still encouraging to see Adam Fox take part in the morning skate wearing a red no contact jersey. The star defenseman remains on LTIR with an upper body injury and will miss his ninth straight game.
Since Fox went down in a 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Nov. 29, the Rangers are 3-3-2. His absence has been especially noticeable on the power play. Without Fox running the top unit, New York is just 2 for 21 with the man advantage. One of those goals came from the second unit, while the other was a 4 on 3 tally in overtime. The all forward first unit has yet to score.
Notably, with Panarin absent at Thursday’s skate, rookie defenseman Scott Morrow worked the point on PP1. That could hint at a possible adjustment, or simply mark him as a temporary stand in for the Breadman.
New York Rangers projected lineup
Artemi Panarin — Mika Zibanejad — Alexis Lafreniere
J.T. Miller — Vincent Trocheck — Gabe Perreault
Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Conor Sheary
Brennan Othmann — Sam Carrick — Matt Rempe
Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider
Carson Soucy — Will Borgen
Matthew Robertson — Scott Morrow
Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Quick
Rangers vs. Blues: When, where, what time, how to watch
Who: New York Rangers vs. St. Louis Blues
When: Thursday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Enterprise Center
How to watch: MSG