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Artem Anisimov is a 22-year-old second year center for the
New York Rangers who has shown both flashes of brilliance and periods of
ineffectiveness with particular slumps on the offensive end of the ice. Overall this season Anisimov has contributed ten
goals and twelve assists while playing 15:38 per game in 47 games. At that pace Anisimov would be expected to
end the year a line of 17-21-38 which would make for a respectable second season. The question for today though is simple: Is
Artem Anisimov part of the future or trade bait for a bigger fish?
Following a strong close to his rookie season there was a
clamoring for Anisimov to move up in the lineup to a more offensive position
where he could better display his offensive gifts. At the start of this season he got that
chance playing on the second line with Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan in
what quickly became the Rangers best line.
Anisimov made the most of this opportunity recording six goals and eight
assists in the team’s first 17 games this season. In just about every game Anisimov was a force
on both ends using his improved speed and strength to be more involved in all
aspects of the game and it appeared as the Rangers had finally found a top
flight center.
With that kind of start the expectation levels for Artie
were raised to another level as he was showing not only the flashes of skill as
he did as a rookie, but consistent production and impact. The problem is that
since that point the game has regressed significantly both in terms of impact
and production where Anisimov has only accounted for four goals and four
assists in the last 30 games. That
production would not have been good enough coming into the season for the
talented center and certainly is not up to par after the play he displayed
early in the year. While the focus is
currently on Marian Gaborik for his lack of finish and impact right now
Anisimov is another one of the Rangers higher skilled players who has fallen
down on the job of late.
For some the struggles that Anisimov is currently
experiencing have made him eminently expendable if the team can get value back
and go sign Brad Richards in the summer.
I think dealing Anisimov would be a mistake as while he has shown warts
in his game in terms of consistency on the offensive end there is top end
talent there and the Rangers have witnessed firsthand how it can take time for
that to develop. Brandon Dubinsky is a
similar case for me to Anisimov as Dubinksy struggled for multiple years to
gain a measure of consistency in his production offensively and this year at 24
finally has found that in his game.
Among the fan base there is this dichotomy of wanting to win
right now and go after big names against the backdrop of clamoring for youth
and building for the long term. It
always amazes that one can call for a youth movement but then have no patience
when a young player hits a bump in their progression as if they are supposed to
be stars from day one. Anisimov is young
and will have some ups and downs, but his potential is clearly there as the
skill is legitimate. His improvements
from last year to this year in terms of strength, play on the puck, excellent
defensive play bode very well for his future he just needs to be more confident
in his offensive skill. What appears to
be holding Anisimov back is that belief in his own game and confidence that he
can be a dominant type of player.
The Rangers are in a stated youth movement and Anisimov
certainly seems to be a key piece in that, but with the emergence of Derek
Stepan and Mats Zuccarello the role Anisimov plays in the movement has
lessened. The team does want to build
around a young core, but just because a player is young does not automatically
qualify them as a member of the core or the future. He will have another chance tonight, playing
with Gaborik and Fedotenko, to get his game going again, and show why he should
be part of the foundation of this team going forward. If he fails to do so one has to wonder with
the trade deadline coming and Brad Richards looming this summer how many more
chances Anisimov will get before considerations of trading him away might
become more serious. Hopefully it never comes to that for trading Anisimov now would be as bad as all those ready to write off Dubinsky the last few seasons.
