With Rangers' Artemi Panarin out day-to-day, Brennan Othmann steps in amid an encouraging preseason

GREENBURGH — Artemi Panarin, who left Tuesday’s preseason game against the Devils early in the first period because of a lower-body injury, did not skate with the Rangers on Thursday when they returned to practice after Wednesday’s day off.

“Right now, he’s just out day-to-day,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said.

Panarin, who had career highs in goals (49) and points (120) last season, won’t play in Friday’s preseason finale against the Islanders at UBS Arena. He will have appeared in two preseason games, both of which he left early. He left last week’s 6-4 win over the Islanders with 6:25 remaining in the third period and then left Tuesday’s game with 12:47 remaining in the first period after playing only four shifts for a total of 2 minutes, 25 seconds.

When asked if he is concerned that Panarin might not be available for the regular-season opener in Pittsburgh next Wednesday, Laviolette refused to answer. But Panarin’s linemate, Vincent Trocheck, said, “I’m not concerned at all. He’ll be fine.’’

With Panarin out, Brennan Othmann took his spot on the left of Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere. Laviolette said those three will skate together against the Islanders. That will make Othmann the only player on the roster to appear in all six preseason games.

For the team’s first-round draft pick in 2021, each preseason game is another opportunity to try to make the opening night roster.

“I think I’ve been doing well,’’ Othmann said. “I’ve shown my offensive skills and my physical aspect. So I get one more game in [Friday] and then after that, we’ll see what happens.’’

The 6-foot, 192-pounder landed some heavy body checks and fought the much bigger Parker Wotherspoon in the preseason opener on Sept. 22 in Boston. He was disappointed with his performance in the next game against the Islanders but rebounded with a goal and an assist in the game after that, at home against Boston.

He thought he was up-and-down against the Devils in New Jersey on Monday but then had two assists in a 5-4 win over them the next night at the Garden.

“I think out of the five preseason games I played, three of them have been pretty solid and one has been not great, and the other one was OK,’’ said Othmann, who has a goal and three assists in five games.

With Panarin’s status uncertain and fourth-line winger Jimmy Vesey out for an extended period with a lower-body injury, Othmann is well aware that could open the door for him to make the team out of camp.

“For sure,’’ he said. “You hate seeing injuries, and I hope that Jimmy and Bread [Panarin] and even Lindy [defenseman Ryan Lindgren] too, come back quick, because they definitely make the team better. And I feel like there’s an opportunity for myself there . . . And there was always an opportunity. Injuries happen. Guys get called up. Guys stick around for whatever reason there may be. So it’s just an opportunity to go out there and show what I could do.’’

Notes & quotes: Laviolette said goaltender Igor Shesterkin will play the entire game on Friday and that defenseman Matthew Robertson, who was injured in the preseason opener in Boston, will partner with Braden Schneider . . . The Rangers assigned center Bo Groulx to AHL Hartford.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.