NHL

Anisimov fills larger role for Rangers

However many inches Artem Anisimov added to his chest last summer during long hours in the gym with Rangers strength and conditioning coach Reg Grant become dwarfed when head coach John Tortorella sends the second-year center out on the first shift of the power play and for last-minute protection of a one-goal lead.

If a Rangers Blueshirt had buttons, they would then burst. Anisimov apologizes for his English, which actually is improving almost as rapidly as his game. But asked what the responsibility means to him, he is eloquent.

“Trust is everything for me,” he said.

It’s becoming everything for the Rangers, too, all-for-one and one-for-all in their response to the early-season losses of Marian Gaborik, Vinny Prospal and Chris Drury to injury.

With three straight wins, they’re Stepan up, the rookie center Derek Stepan among them. The hulking Anisimov especially shows signs of becoming a hugely important player for a long time, maybe a time as long as his reach.

“He’s gotten a lot stronger,” linemate Ryan Callahan said. “This summer he put on a little meat, and it’s helped his game tremendously, holding on to pucks for that extra second.”

Take it from Callahan: It’s becoming difficult to take the puck off his 6-foot-4 man in the middle, who increasingly has shifts where he looks like Big Mahovlich.

OK, maybe it’s 6-foot-5 former Canadiens standout Peter Mahovlich, not Hall of Fame brother Frank. But whether Anisimov’s yearly goal production levels off at 20 or goes to 30, the advantage of having a skilled, gritty center with enough size to go against the NHL’s biggies looms large for a franchise finally manifesting the youth movement for which its fans have begged.

“He’s still just a puppy as far as his body goes,” Tortorella said. “You see him bring the puck to the net and he’s impressive. And he’s already one of our better defensive players.

“I think about him a lot, want to make sure with he and Stepan that we don’t miss the steps in the growing process. I took a couple shifts away from [Anisimov in Sunday night’s 3-1 win over the Devils] because I worry about that.

“I just want to make sure I am careful not to give him too much. Last year, I thought I knocked him down a bit when I put him in the second line. He was very honest with me about being nervous and you could tell.”

Now you can tell there’s just no telling just how good this kid, the 54th pick in the 2006 draft, might turn out to be.

“Everybody knows it was just a matter of time until he came into his own,” said Anisimov’s left wing, Brandon Dubinsky, who is emerging himself.

Big, strong, young Rangers growing before our eyes. What a concept!

jay.greenberg@nypost.com