Artemi Panarin injured for the second time in preseason!

For the second time this preseason, New York Rangers star forward Artemi Panarin left a game with an apparent injury. On Tuesday evening, Panarin left the contest against the New Jersey Devils with a lower-body injury in the first period. The team announced before the second frame he would not return.

It remains unclear on what happened that caused Panarin to leave the game. After not playing on a shift with his linemates Alexis Lafrenière and Vincent Trocheck, the Russian sniper went to the dressing room and remained absent for the remainder of the period. He only played for two minutes and 25 seconds.

And then came the team’s announcement.

This is the second time in the preseason that Panarin leaves a game due to injury. Last week, he got injured against the New York Islanders, sustaining a lower-body injury but returned to the ice after missing only one day of practice. He told the media that he was ok as he left the game just to be safe.

Last season, Panarin, who signed a seven-year, $81.5-million contract with the Rangers in the summer of 2019, came fourth in league scoring last year with 120 points (49 goals, 71 assists) in 82 games. He is expected as per previous campaigns to occupy a top-six role and see action on the first power-play unit in the upcoming season.

Losing him before the first game of the regular calendar would be a tough blow for the Rangers.

While the fanbase in New York is hoping the decision on Panarin was only precautionary, others are worried this could mean trouble for their star player before the season even gets started.

After significant injuries to players like Los Angeles Kings’ Drew Doughty and Montreal Canadiens’ Patrik Laine, along with Panarin’s teammate Ryan Lindgren in New York, it’s about time the preseason comes to an end.