Rangers’ Panarin (upper-body injury) out vs. Islanders

New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin, the team's leading scorer, missed Tuesday night's game against the New York Islanders due to an upper-body injury. Panarin, an offseason addition who has collected 68 points (26 goals, 42 assists), was replaced at left wing by Pavel Buchnevich on a line that also included Ryan Strome and Jesper Fast.

Coming into Tuesday's action, Panarin was fifth in NHL scoring, trailing league leader Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers by only eight points. The Rangers beat the Islanders in back-to-back outings last week, with Panarin totaling five points (two goals, three assists) in a 6-2 victory on Jan. 13. He has managed only one point in two games since then, though.

Panarin led the Columbus Blue Jackets with a team-record 82 points in 2017-18 and then totaled 87 points last season as Columbus reached the playoffs in both seasons. The Blue Jackets obtained him in a trade with Chicago after he played his first two seasons there but were unable to retain him as the Rangers signed him to a seven-year, $81.5 million contract.