The New York Rangers are always expected to make a big run at some of the top free agents in the game. One of their more recent examples was Artemi Panarin back in 2019, signing him to a seven-year, $81.5 million contract. Now, Panarin is set to be a free agent next summer.
At first glance, the 2026 free agency class was set to be stacked. Some of the top young stars were set to hit free agency, such as Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and Kirill Kaprizov. All three of those names would have been dream targets for the Rangers and their fans. But slowly but surely, all of those players took themselves off the board. First it was Kaprizov. Then, McDavid. On Wednesday, Eichel came off of the board after re-signing with the Vegas Golden Knights on an eight-year, $108 million contract extension.
And just like that, the top free agent in next year's class is now Panarin.
Artemi Panarin now becomes top 2026 free agent by default after superstars re-sign with respective teams
Yes, there are some other names set to be on the market as of now. Cale Makar is set to be an unrestricted free agent, but in all likelihood, the Colorado Avalanche will re-sign him on a massive contract extension. Then, there's Alex Ovechkin, who is 40 years old and there is uncertainty about whether he will retire or continue his career after this season.
So, by default, Panarin is one of the top available players in free agency.
There were reports this offseason that the Rangers had tried to get Panarin to re-sign on a team-friendly deal, much like the Los Angeles Kings did with Anze Kopitar. Those talks went nowhere, but it's unknown if Panarin turned it down or not.
Considering that Panarin will be near the top of the market, he could very well cash in with a tea that needs scoring help. Yes, he will soon turn 34 years old, but he still has some years left to play. In his Rangers career, Panarin scored 186 goals and dished out 364 assists for a total of 550 points in 436 games played.
The 2026 free agency class has thinned out significantly, leaving Panarin as one of the top options available. It's unknown if the Rangers will try to get Panarin to re-up on a new deal, or if the winger will instead opt to hit free agency and potentially secure another big contract.