The New York Rangers had a rough start to the beginning of the 2024 year, suffering a tough 6-1 defeat against the Carolina Hurricanes. However, the team appears to have regained momentum with a strong 4-1 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks. Adding to this positive turn, the Rangers made a notable move by signing Artem Anisimov to the Harford Wolf Pack, bringing back a familiar face to the team
Who is Artem Anisimov?
Artem Anisimov is an NHL veteran who entered the league after being selected in the 2006 NHL Draft. Interestingly, the New York Rangers drafted him in the second round, 54th overall. He was a notable player for both the New York Rangers and their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, during his early career.
Many might recall that he was part of the trade that brought Rick Nash to the Rangers from Columbus in a blockbuster deal. Over the years, Anisimov has played for various teams, including the Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the KHL, and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL. With extensive experience in both the NHL and AHL, he brings a wealth of knowledge from playing in multiple leagues.
Anisimov signed on a PTO
A professional tryout (PTO) is a short-term contract offered to a player by an NHL team to evaluate their skills and potential for joining the team full-time. This means that this deal for now is short-term, but it can turn into a long-term deal.
What is Anisimov bringing to the Rangers?
This addition to the team comes as an intriguing surprise, seemingly out of nowhere. It certainly wasn’t something on the 2024 New York Rangers’ radar at the beginning of the year. However, Anisimov’s arrival could offer much-needed depth at center. With ongoing rumors of Barclay Goodrow potentially being moved for extra cap space and as an insurance policy against injuries, his presence could prove valuable.
Moreover, given his extensive career, Anisimov could become a notable locker room leader, offering guidance to the younger players on the team. What hasn’t been widely discussed is Anisimov’s potential business impact, particularly in driving ticket sales for the Hartford Wolf Pack.
With rising star Brennan Othmann recently called up, the Wolf Pack lost a highly marketable player. Bringing in a notable name like Anisimov could attract fans eager to see him play in the AHL — especially older fans who previously saw him in the late 2000s. It seems like a win-win situation either way.
It will be interesting to see how the Anisimov experiment will be with the Blueshirts. Will he be a potential depth piece/ring chaser for the Rangers when it comes to playoff time, or will he be more of a veteran influence in the AHL where he will help guide the youth in the Rangers prospect pool? Well, only time will tell on the answers to these questions. The good news is that Artem Anisimov in his debut scored his first goal with the Wolf Pack since 2009, so he is off to a great start.
