Daily Report – 2/4/26
Rangers
To Artemi Panarin, thank you so much for everything you gave to Rangers fans! From your signature leg kick and sprint off the ice in warmups to your memorable Game 7 overtime series-clinching goal against Pittsburgh in 2022, you will always be remembered as the greatest free agency signing in the history of the New York Rangers.
Panarin, who held a full no-move clause in the last season of his seven-year, $81.5 million contract, only wanted to go to the Los Angeles Kings, likely because they were prepared to offer him an extension. Chris Drury had to act fast to get a move done before the Olympic roster freeze, which went into effect this afternoon.
The Bread Man is one of the greatest undrafted players in NHL history, and he knew how to deliver in New York. He became the Rangers’ all-time points-per-game leader, including a 120-point season, the second-best in franchise history, that helped the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy two years ago.
Image Courtesy: New York Rangers
The Rangers’ star forward, one of the best players in the NHL, was traded to Los Angeles for what feels like pennies. In return for Panarin, the Rangers acquired a conditional third-round draft pick and the Kings’ top prospect, Liam Greentree. This return is far from worthy of a top-five NHL forward. There weren’t any first-round picks involved. There wasn’t any significant salary movement. This was an awful trade.
Clearly, Drury had to act hastily, and, unfortunately, he did not have a choice. However, it is Drury’s fault that the Rangers are in this retool. He is responsible for their collapse.
Not only is Drury responsible for Panarin’s departure and the Rangers’ free fall, but he will also be remembered for the weak desperation move he made to offload the Rangers’ best player. The Panarin trade is embarrassing, idiotic, shameful, and pathetic. And it is not fair. Not one bit.
This is not a good day for Rangerstown. This might be one of the worst days ever for the Rangers franchise. They are in a terrible position, and they couldn’t even get an equitable return for their best player.
Knicks
I guess the Wizards were pretty disappointed with how they played against the Knicks yesterday, because they shook the basketball world today by trading for Anthony Davis. The NBA trade deadline is tomorrow at 3 PM (2 PM CT), so be sure to follow @agm605 on X (https://x.com/agm605) for breaking Knicks trade news.
Last night, in our nation’s capital, the Knicks made a political statement by slamming the Wizards 132-101. The victory marked the Knicks’ seventh straight, and in that span, they have outscored opponents by 173 points, the greatest differential over seven games in franchise history.
The Knicks outscored Washington 38-22 in the first quarter and 34-23 in the second. By giving up 101 points, the Knicks ended their four-game streak of holding opponents to 100 points or fewer. Before Sunday’s win over the Lakers, the Knicks had held opponents to fewer than 100 points in three straight games, and in four of their previous five.
The Knicks also secured 15 more assists (34) than Washington, and eight more rebounds (50). Seven Knicks players, including four starters, reached double-digits in scoring, and Karl-Anthony Towns, who leads the NBA in double-doubles, netted 19 points and 15 rebounds.
“We came out with that third-quarter intensity in the first quarter, and it allowed us to dictate the game,” Towns said. “That’s what’s asked of us, and that’s something we wanted to accomplish. So, today is a good day where you actually do what you say.”
The only downsides of the game were ankle injuries to Mohamed Diawara and Josh Hart. After Diawara twisted his ankle, he couldn’t put pressure on it. Hart had a similar issue in the third quarter, and he hobbled to the locker room. Diawara will be available to play tonight against Denver. Hart will not be.
Before he got hurt, Diawara was on a roll after a great game against Los Angeles and a solid start last night. Meanwhile, Hart’s ankle injury, which sidelined him for eight games last month, continues to ail him.
Furthermore, Miles McBride missed his fourth straight game with left ankle injury management, and he will miss tonight’s game as well. He has reportedly received further testing on his ankle, but the Knicks have not released any updates.
The only active Knick who didn’t play yesterday was Guerschon Yabusele. He has been in the middle of trade rumors, so there is a chance the Knicks are preserving him. Last night, he sat on the side and watched as his team, led by Mikal Bridges’s 23 points, put on a clinic against the Wizards.
“Guys are trying to share the basketball,” head coach Mike Brown observed. “We only had nine turnovers (Washington had 13), so you’re trying to not only share the basketball, but to share it the right way. And we have a lot of guys who can put it on the floor and make plays. But guys are trying to play for one another with the correct spacing [while] making the correct decisions.”
Last month, Washington traded for Trae Young, but they are not letting him play. It is fair to assume they will not let Davis play, either. The Knicks possess a top-eight-protected pick from Washington, but the Wizards are not going to give New York that luxury. They plan to continue rolling out young talent. Their oldest starter yesterday was 22-year-old Kyshawn George.
At one point in the game, Knicks fans began pestering Young, who fired back in frustration. For years, Knicks fans have been engaging in somewhat aggressive banters with Young, who, yesterday, could not respond to the negative chants with his game. So, he used his voice instead.
Tonight, the Knicks will begin their most important stretch of the season thus far as they host the Denver Nuggets at the Garden (7 PM, 6 PM CST – MSG, ESPN, Gotham Sports, ESPN App). They will travel to Detroit and Boston this weekend, their biggest Eastern Conference opponents, before returning for a game against Indiana next Tuesday. Their final game before the All-Star Break will take place in Philadelphia next Wednesday.
Schedule
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CST): NYK vs. DEN; MSG, ESPN, Gotham Sports, ESPN App
