New York Rangers fans just can’t ignore the signs surrounding Artemi Panarin’s eventual departure any longer. When news got out that the club wasn’t going to bring Panarin back, it seemed like the confirmation of something clearly in the works. The speculation has kept the merry-go-round of rumors turning daily.
But now that the Rangers have officially decided to keep Panarin out of the lineup, a trade seems like a fait accompli. There’s really no other reason to dress Panarin at this point. Sure, the Blueshirts are looking to win games for pride’s sake. But at what point does the team stop risking Panarin on the ice?
That point came on Wednesday evening. Shutting Panarin down is like driving a car around that’s for sale. Driving the car risks it getting into a wreck and killing the value. That’s what this situation boils down to.
Reading between the lines, there’s possibly a framework deal in place. The Rangers may have already worked out a package for Panarin. The final Ts to be crossed could pertain to a contract extension.
It’s worth pointing out that Panarin has the final say in any trade. That’s why the Rangers can’t move forward without the 34-year-old’s blessing. It will be a tense evening as fans and the media await further information.
Rangers sending signals that a trade is imminent
The last time the Rangers withheld a player for roster management reasons, it was Carson Soucy. Hours later, news broke that Soucy had been traded to the New York Islanders.
That’s a pattern that could suggest a Rangers trade involving Panarin is imminent. While it may not necessarily happen right away, the deal could be close. Now, the chatter suggests that Panarin won’t play until the Olympic break. That’s about 10 days or so in which Panarin will sit.
It also gives the Rangers about a month to hammer out details moving forward. Even if the trade can’t be finalized during the Olympic break, the management-side stuff can be worked out behind the scenes.
That’s purely hearsay, of course. But it’s hard not to read that in the tea leaves, considering the Soucy trade and the Ondrej Palat deal on Tuesday night.
Ultimately, the Rangers are right to sit Panarin down. There’s no sense in keeping him on the ice if it could endanger the club’s chances of pulling off a successful trade. From a management perspective, Chris Drury is making a savvy move.