When he returned to the Rangers following the leave of absence he took in late February, Artemi Panarin promised he would talk in more detail about his reason for leaving when the season was over. But he didn’t speak to the media on Virtual Breakup Day, and, through a team spokesman, promised he’d address the issue over the summer.
That didn’t happen either.
So when Panarin spoke to the local media on Day 3 of Rangers training camp Saturday, the first thing he was asked was whether he had anything to share about the reasons he felt it necessary to step away from the team for nine games during the crucial period as it fought a longshot battle to make the playoffs.