The New York Rangers already moved on players as part of their "retool," but there is one big domino that appears ready to fall soon — Artemi Panarin. The Rangers' big signing from 2019 is set to hit free agency at the end of this season, and with the playoffs out of the picture, General Manager Chris Drury is looking to get a return. And this week, the Rangers are benching Panarin until a trade comes to fruition.
Panarin has interest from as many as 14 teams, but he has control over where he gets traded. As it turns out, he is making things difficult for the Rangers, and that's with his contract demands. It has been reported that Panarin would prefer to sign a contract extension with the new team he is traded to. But, it's going to be expensive.
Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed on his 32 Thoughts Podcast that he's been hearing from teams that Panarin and his agent, Paul Theofanous, are seeking a $50 million contract extension.
"You know, [Theofanous] just did a huge one, Kaprizov, the biggest deal in NHL history. And I think everybody understands that if you're going to get Panarin, he is going to try to hit a contract home run, even though he's 34 year's old. And the number I was hearing, and a few teams backed me on this, was $50 million," said Friedman.
Artemi Panarin's eye-popping demand could complicate Rangers exit
This latest contract demand could make a trade for the Rangers that much more difficult. Not only does Panarin have a full no-move clause to dictate where he'd like to be traded to, but now, at 34-years-old, is seeking a $50 million total on a potential four or five-year contract extension.
Friedman expressed pessimism that any team interested in them will offer anything close to what he wants on a new contract. Which team could feasibly be willing to give Panarin a contract that he's seeking?
Friedman says that the Colorado Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks could only acquire Panarin as a rental. The Dallas Stars, meanwhile, would only do a trade and contract extension if they move on from Jason Robertson, but Friedman states that their plan is to try and work on a new deal with their young star. Friedman says he's not sure Panarin would want to go to the Seattle Kraken. The Florida Panthers cap situation makes it unlikely that a trade for Panarin would happen. The Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights are also teams that don't fit the bill for a trade and extension deal for Panarin.
The Los Angeles Kings are a team to keep an eye on, per Friedman, due in part to their scoring struggles this season. Freidman says that they could do a contract extension with Panarin, but they're apprehensive about how large that deal would be.
"I think they have considered this," says Friedman. "I think that the other thing the Kings are worried about is how big an extension would look like, but they're not out. I don't know really where to say it's going to go with them, except I think at times they really wrestled with how much it truly makes sense for them. "
The Washington Capitals are a team to keep an eye on, but they are only doing it with a contract extension, per Friedman. The NHL insider also says that other teams believe Washington is "aggressively pursuing" a trade for Panarin, while he himself calls the team "legit" contenders.
The Carolina Hurricanes are also a team to keep an eye on. While he says he believes the Hurricanes are "in it," he doesn't "know how to handicap their likelihood."
The San Jose Sharks are another potential team, who would be an ideal trade partner for the Rangers. While Friedman says he believes the Sharks are in the running, he mentions that Macklin Celebrini's eventual contract extension could be a hinderance to their pursuit for Panarin.
The Detroit Red Wings are another team to keep ane eye on, as Friedman mentions that General Manager Steve Yzerman is willing to do trades, but not as rentals.
So, the Capitals, Hurricanes, Kings, Red Wings, and Sharks are teams that are willing to sign Panarin to a contract extension. However, it must be stressed it's unknown if they are going to cave to Panarin's reported demands on a lucrative contract extension as he approaches the tail-end of his career.
The Rangers desperately need some young talent with upside to enter their organization. Trading Panarin could help with that. However, this new deman from his camp could make that difficult for the Rangers.