Artem Anisimov Moving Up in the Lineup

Getty Images

A good topic that came up in last night's chat was where Russian forward Artem Anisimov will fit in the lineup this season. Last year, a freshman at the time, Artem was switched between third and fourth line minutes by head coach John Tortorella until he eventually found a permanent home on the fourth line towards the end of the year. To me, I felt like talent was being wasted that way because Anisimov is clearly much more than a fourth line player. He is a skilled, slick goal scorer who knows his way around the rink quite well. There are some things he still has to learn, but he showed enough in his rookie season to prove that he deserves to move up in the Rangers lineup.

Anisimov was one of the few Rangers who played in all 82 games last season, and in that span he recorded 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points. And remember, he did that playing on the third and fourth lines, which means ten minutes of ice time per game at most. Offense was not the only area of Artem's game where I noticed much improvement, as he was very strong defensively as well, in contrast to most Russian players the Rangers have brought in over the years. Tortorella was even at the point where he would put Anisimov out on the penalty kill if he had to. These are all good signs for a rookie.

With all of that general and obvious information out of the way, I would like to talk about this kid's offensive skill and potential. I did not know what to expect from him heading into training camp last year, I was just basing my opinion on the good things I heard about him out of Hartford (AHL). Then once preseason came and Artem scored that pretty goal against the Red Wings in Detroit followed by the brilliant tally in Boston I knew we had a future star on our hands.

Most of Anisimov's goals came from right outside the crease around the net. Not all were dirty goals (rebounds, deflections etc) but most were from in close. This is the difference between scoring 12 goals in a year and 25; many of those goals around the net were plays started by other players that Artem finished. Go back and look at his highlights and most plays were started from elsewhere on the rink and Artem befitted from that. The kid knows how to get to the net, but last year, he was not experienced enough to do so while carrying the puck, therefore unable to create scoring chances of his own.

Over and over again you probably heard me say that if he puts on some weight and strength he will be something special. You probably heard me say it a lot in my postgame recaps, and you probably got sick of hearing it. But you know what? Putting on some extra pounds will allow Anisimov to get to the net while carrying the puck because he already has the hands to do so, but the rest of his body is not as well equipped.  Defensemen took advantage of him and he got rocked when he brought the puck into the slot. If he applies himself to the right diet and exercise, this will be a problem no longer.

Taking all of this into consideration, Anisimov should be given the opportunity to play on one of the top two offensive lines and as of right now, that seems to be the plan. When talking to Rick Carpiniello of Rangers Report last week, he told me that the Rangers want Artem centering the second line next season depending on how he performs in training camp. Put him with Callahan and Dubinsky and you have a second line worthy of making some noise. And if Frolov does not work out on Gaborik's line, the Russian-Russian combination is never a bad idea either.

Anisimov's 2009-10 Highlight Reel: