The clock is ticking for the New York Rangers. Sure, they have until March 6 to make trades. But at 3:00 p.m. ET on Feb. 4, all NHL rosters freeze for the Olympic break, meaning that no transactions can be made until Feb. 22. With that deadline, recent reporting indicated that it could mean that the Rangers could trade Artemi Panarin.
Panarin's trade situation is unique. While he would command the biggest return, he does have a say in where he gets traded to, due to his full no-movement clause. To make matters more interesting, Panarin is seeking a contract extension with his new team, a tidbit that has been disputed recently. Either way, Panarin could fetch the Rangers a huge return regardless. It appears that one rival is ready to go all-out to convince the Rangers to deal one of their best players to them.
During an appearance on TSN's Insider Trading, NHL insider Chris Johnston revealed that the Washington Capitals have "put forward a big offer" for Panarin.
Capitals reportedly make huge offer to Rangers for Artemi Panarin
It's unknown what kind of offer the Capitals would make for the Rangers, but the fact that Johnston said that it was "big," means that this is a team that is serious about getting a consistent scoring winger for their playoff push. Not only that, but it appears they are willing to give him a contract extension.
Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed in the past week that Panarin and his agent were seeking a contract extension around $50 million, regardless of term. While expressing pessimism that he would get a deal like that from a team, Friedman did list the Capitals as one of the teams who could offer him an extension.
After the free agency clash got depleted at the start of the season, Panarin is easily one of the top options available. The Capitals will have to figure out what to do regarding Alex Ovechkin, who is also set to hit free agency this summer. Could Panarin be their pivot option, allowing Ovechkin to explore other opportunities or retire?
For the Rangers fanbase, it will be hard to see Panarin potentially suit up for another team, especially on a Metropolitan Division rival. But in this situation, Panarin has full say as to where he can be traded, meaning he can't go to whichever team makes the most lucrative offer. The only thing they can hope for is that one of the teams, whether its the Capitals or Tampa Bay Lightning or Florida Panthers, give the Rangers a significant return.
Let's see if the two sides actually reach an agreement before the 3:00 p.m. ET. Most importantly, let's see if Panarin actually gets dealt at all.