The clock is winding down on Artemi Panarin’s time with the Rangers, reaching an hour-by-hour countdown after the decision was made Wednesday to hold him out of the lineup until the Olympic break. Panarin, who will finish his Blueshirts tenure as one of the greatest free agent signings of all time, appears to be using the leverage he has.

The New York Rangers have potentially seen the last game from their leading scorer in five of the past six seasons.

The New York Rangers are preparing for Artemi Panarin's eventual exit with this recent move, signaling a deal could be close.

The New York Rangers lost their second game to the New York Islanders in the span of two days, suffering a 2-1 defeat on Thursday night, as the absence of Artemi Panarin is clearly taking a toll on the team.