The New York Rangers have won three games in a row, and Artemi Panarin's resurgence after an underwhelming start to the season has factored into the organization's recent success. The pending UFA is now leading the team in scoring with eight goals and 18 assists for 26 points in 26 games, and he just put up four points against the Boston Bruins. There's been a lot of twists and turns this season regarding what Panarin's future could look like, and a new update to the story was added following the team's most recent win.
Panarin won't rule out a return to Russia if he doesn't get deal done with Blueshirts
Last week there was a story which quoted New York Rangers great, and 1994 Stanley Cup winner, Alexei Kovalev. Kovalev was quoted as saying "there are even talks he (Panarin) wants to leave the NHL altogether and go back to Russia.
Panarin spoke with Mollie Walker of the New York Post on Friday, and in a story for the Post's Sports+ (paywalled) he was asked about the story in which Kovalev was quoted. Panarin didn't deny the reporting, but overall he was noncommittal and mentioned it's a hard question and you never know what can happen.
What we previously know about Panarin and the Rangers' negotiations
Up to this point it has been reported that the Rangers approached Panarin about an extension that was similar to Anze Kopitar's deal with the Los Angeles Kings. Kopitar's deal which took him through his age 38 season was two years at $7 million a season. This came off the heels of an eight year contract in which Kopitar made $10 million a season. Panarin will turn 35 after the 2026-27 season starts, so it is understandable that he wants to try and capitalize on what could be his last contract.
It makes even more sense for him considering that many of the players who would have been hitting free agency at the same time as Panarin have already signed extensions, so there will be no shortage of teams with the ability to offer him a deal that's more to his liking. Conversely, given the start of Panarin's season under a new head coach in Mike Sullivan, it makes sense for the Rangers to have a sense of what their star forward is capable of before committing more money and years to him.
Panarin's current contract is one that he more than lived up to, and it featured an 120-point season which is the most successful season he's had to date. But it also includes last year's 89-point campaign which was a significant drop off. It is very likely that Panarin's days of producing in the upper 90s are over, and while he still may produce at an elite pace, a lower AAV isn't a ludicrous request from the Rangers.
What happens next?
The Rangers have been in this situation before, I think back to Jaromir Jagr's pending free agency which ultimately led to him going to the KHL for a few years before making an NHL return, and it remains unlikely that a deal gets done during the season.
They will certainly enjoy Panarin's productive play, but there's still a lot of season left. It remains to be seen how that unfolds, and the overall performance of the Rangers as a whole could dictate how they want to reshape their roster.
The hiring of Sullivan was step one in a process that will see the team be turned into a sustainable contender. This is a year of evaluation, and seeing which players are able to learn and execute his system, and ultimately thrive. The Rangers have options with their cap space whether or not they sign Panarin, and it is fair to say this latest news doesn't dramatically change things.