A REAL FAIR EVALUATION 

It’s easy to see why the Rangers have sent Artem Anisimov back to Hartford today. Afterall, they did give him a full nine minutes of ice time to prove himself worthy of staying in the NHL. They also REALLY helped him by putting a playmaking center with two powerhouse scoring machines like Aaron Voros and our old friend Lauri Korpikoski on his wings. No offense meant to Lauri whatsoever. He belongs in the NHL. He's a solid checker who can put the puck in the net a few times a season, but there was no way Artie was going to be a success with that lineup. We've said it before and we'll say it again, Artie doesn't play as well in a checking role. Artie is at his best when lined up with someone like P.A. Parenteau. If the Rangers organization wanted to see what they have with Artie, they should have lined him up with Nik Zherdev and Brandon Dubinsky as most of the beat writers speculated and we had hoped would be the case. But it is what it is!

Well, New York’s loss is Hartford's gain. Artie is 100% ready for the NHL game and will do nothing more than help the Wolf Pack try and win their division.

Artie will get his chance again…let’s just hope the Rangers are smart enough to make sure it’s with them.

Here's the official release from the team:

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that forward Artem Anisimov has been assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the
American Hockey League (AHL).

Anisimov, 20, made his NHL debut last night vs.Atlanta following his recall on Monday. The 6-4, 194-pounder has registered 21 goals and 29 assists for 50 points, along with 38 penalty minutes in 48 games with Hartford this season. He returns to the Wolf Pack tied for fourth in the AHL in points (50), and tied for eighth in the league in goals (21) and power play goals (nine). He is also tied for fifth in the league with five game winning goals. His 21 goals lead all Wolf Pack skaters, while his 29 assists and 50 points rank second on Hartford. Anisimov has recorded 13 multiple-point games this season, including a three-point effort on November 7 vs. Worcester (one goal and two assists). He also registered a career-high, eight-game point streak from January 9 at Springfield to January 24 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, tallying 11 points (five goals and six assists) during the stretch. Anisimov recorded three points (one goal and two assists)and a plus-three rating as a member of the PlanetUSA AHL All-Stars at the AHL All-Star Classic on January 26.

The Yaroslavl, Russia native was originally the Rangers’ second round selection, 54th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.