Artemi Panarin has seemingly performed his final sport as a member of the New York Rangers. In keeping with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Rangers plan to take a seat Panarin for trade-related causes till the Olympic break begins on Feb. 6, assuming a deal does not materialize earlier than then.
Rangers basic supervisor Chris Drury introduced that the workforce shall be present process one other retooling simply 12 days in the past, so this information does not come as a lot of a shock. Panarin is a 34-year-old pending free agent who will seemingly command important cash on his subsequent deal, and the Rangers have reset their timeline.
New York ought to have the ability to get a haul for a veteran winger who simply posted 120 factors two seasons in the past, and there must be no scarcity of curiosity. Panarin nonetheless has loads of offensive prowess, and he leads the Rangers in assists (38) and factors (57). Since he entered the league in 2015-16, solely 4 gamers have extra factors than Panarin’s 927. The workforce that lands Panarin shall be getting an elite first-line winger.
The difficulty with shifting Panarin could also be cash — how a lot he is owed this season and what he shall be owed sooner or later. Panarin comes with an enormous $11.6 million cap hit for the rest of 2025-26 season, after which he is set to change into a free agent. The Rangers in all probability will not get a king’s ransom except Panarin comes with a contract extension, and discovering a workforce keen to pay a 34-year-old prime greenback could also be troublesome.
That mentioned, Panarin could be a super match on numerous playoff contenders, significantly these six, earlier than the March 6 commerce deadline.
Anaheim Geese
Anaheim is a workforce on the rise and has what the Rangers would covet in a deal for Panarin: younger expertise and draft capital. The up-and-coming Geese are presently third within the Pacific Division and simply 4 factors out of first place. Offense hasn’t essentially been a problem for this workforce up to now, however including Panarin would put an skilled scorer in a locker room that may be very a lot on the inexperienced facet.
Star heart Leo Carlsson has gone chilly since his torrid begin over the primary couple months, and a pairing with somebody like Panarin would possibly simply be what kickstarts him for the house stretch. In addition to, if the Geese are going to undergo groups just like the Edmonton Oilers or Vegas Golden Knights, they are going to want some actual firepower.
In keeping with PuckPedia, the Geese are projected to have virtually $40 million in cap area subsequent offseason. Granted, a few of that’s already labeled for gamers like Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier, however Anaheim may afford a considerable funding in Panarin.
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Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have glorious depth, however they have been on the seek for a very elite offensive menace for some time now. They’d it for all of eight video games final season because of the Mikko Rantanen commerce, however Panarin would offer them with a celebrity scorer for a whole playoff run.
Past that, the Canes have received a single Jap Convention Closing sport since successful the Stanley Cup in 2006. As Carolina tries to recover from that hump, would not this be the season to push the chips into the center of the desk? Have a look across the East. Solely the Tampa Bay Lightning appear to be a juggernaut, and the back-to-back champs are exterior the playoffs. The runway is evident for the Hurricanes, and they should make an enormous transfer.
Cash will not be an issue this season, however a contract extension could be extra problematic. Nonetheless, the chance of dropping Panarin to free company subsequent summer season is value it if it means Carolina could make an actual run on the second Cup in franchise historical past.
Detroit Pink Wings
The plan is lastly beginning to come collectively for Steve Yzerman in Detroit. After he sat on his palms by way of the commerce deadline final season, it might be stunning if he did the identical this yr. The Pink Wings may win the Atlantic Division, or on the very least safe home-ice benefit within the first spherical, because of a pair of budding younger stars in Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond.
Relating to the roster, there’s a clear drop-off behind the highest three forwards — Raymond, Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin. No different ahead has greater than 32 factors, and only one has greater than 9 objectives. Panarin would give the Pink Wings one other elite playmaker to assist these different three massive weapons on the prime of the lineup (his 57 factors would rank second on the workforce).
The Pink Wings have cash to spend — each this season and subsequent. In keeping with PuckPedia, Detroit could have roughly $35 million initially of the brand new league yr, and most of their key gamers are already signed. Why not write an enormous verify to get the winged wheel again among the many NHL’s contenders?
Florida Panthers
The Panthers all the time appear to be poking across the greatest names on the commerce market, and Panarin would not be any totally different. In spite of everything, when Panarin signed with the Rangers in 2019, the Panthers have been within the combine. Panarin’s pal from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Sergei Bobrovsky, did wind up in Dawn that yr. Would possibly we see a reunion quickly?
Thanks largely to accidents, the Panthers merely have not been as formidable in 2025-26. Offensively, they’re nineteenth within the NHL with 157 objectives, and Sam Reinhart and Brad Marchand have been pressured to hold a lot of that load. Panarin may take some weight off their shoulders, and he would give Florida the caliber of playmaking expertise it lacked with captain Aleksander Barkov out of the lineup. Then, what if Barkov may return for the postseason? A 3-peat could be within the playing cards.
If the Panthers are going to accumulate Panarin, they must transfer some cash out, and so they aren’t precisely flush with draft capital. This may occasionally sound loopy, however would Florida be keen to ship Anton Lundell the opposite manner? The 24-year-old heart has struggled a bit in an elevated function this season however remains to be a participant who would curiosity New York.
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Los Angeles Kings
If there was ever a workforce that wanted some offense, it is the Kings. Solely two groups have allowed fewer objectives, and only one workforce permits five-on-five anticipated objectives at a decrease charge. The issue is that Los Angeles ranks thirtieth in scoring, forward of solely the anemic Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues.
As issues stand now, we’re headed for the fifth film within the Kings vs. Oilers franchise, and we all know how all of them finish. Edmonton overwhelms Los Angeles with its offensive assault, and the collection is over in 5 or 6 video games. With Panarin within the combine, the script might be totally different. Not solely would Panarin’s 19 objectives lead the workforce, however his 57 factors could be 17 factors away from the following closest participant, Adrian Kempe. Quinton Byfield has 9 objectives in 50 video games. Let him heart Panarin’s line and watch him attain his offensive potential.
Los Angeles would have the ability to take in Panarin’s cap hit and nonetheless retain every of its first-round picks within the subsequent three drafts. Would this be a superb match long-term? Solely time would inform.
Washington Capitals
This commerce state of affairs would unite Russian superstars Panarin and Alex Ovechkin within the nation’s capital. That must be sufficient to promote anybody on this deal, but it surely is sensible effectively past the bond between these two.
The Capitals have had a disastrous January. They’re nonetheless inside hanging distance of the playoffs, however one thing has to vary rapidly. Profitable the Panarin sweepstakes would definitely qualify as change. With Pierre-Luc Dubois on the shelf, Washington is especially bereft of pop on the prime of its lineup. Past Ovechkin, Tom Wilson and (perhaps) Dylan Strome, it will get bleak fairly rapidly. Though the Caps really want a middle, Panarin has the flexibility to drive play and distribute the puck from the wing, one thing this roster desperately must compete with the East’s greatest.
As a way to make this deal, Washington would both should shed wage or pay further for New York to retain some cash. No matter which route they go, the Caps ought to have the draft capital to make this commerce.
