New York Rangers star winger Artemi Panarin is set to have a leave of absence away from the team after a report from Russia alleged that he beat up an 18-year-old girl back in 2011. The news broke out after his former Vityaz Chekov head coach Andrei Nazarov spilled the details on the previous incident involving the Russian player, via New York Post.
Nazarov, who is a known supporter of Vladimir Putin, has already criticized Panarin for his strong sentiments regarding the regime of the Russian President. Back in 2019, Panarin previously held an interview with the Vsemu Golovin YouTube channel where he bared his ill-feelings regarding Putin's administration.
In the same video, he also tackled a handful of controversial topics including his homeland's economy, freedom of speech, and politics before he compared it to the United States, where he currently plays in New York. Notwithstanding his political stance, the 29-year-old emerged as one of the best players in the NHL last season.
Panarin previously finished his 2019-20 campaign with tallies of 95 points along with 32 goals and 63 assists which eventually led to his nomination as a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy.
In the 2020-21 season, Panarin has already recorded a total of 18 points to go with five goals and three assists through 14 games played. His absence will definitely leave a gaping hole in his team's offensive attack as the season progresses.
Without the undrafted winger at the helm moving forward, the Rangers will have to bank on the production of their other players as they aim to improve on their dismal 6-7-3 record in their coming games.
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