New York Rangers
Panarin Trade Watch: 9 Teams In, 3 Teams Have Concerns
Explore the latest news on Artemi Panarin and potential trade scenarios as NHL teams show interest, but some under specific conditions.
Last night on Hockey Night in Canada, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman delivered his weekly Saturday Headlines segment. This is where he runs through some of the biggest stories from around the league. In this week’s edition, he touched on the state of the Toronto Maple Leafs and their captain, Auston Matthews. He also dove into the future of New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin and which teams he believes are in on him and which are out.
Panarin, 34, is currently sitting out for roster-related reasons as the league approaches Wednesday’s Olympic roster freeze. The biggest catch in any potential trade is that he doesn’t want to move twice. Because of that, any team acquiring him would need to sign him to an extension. That requirement has made it difficult for some teams to express a serious interest if they aren’t in a position to extend him. The reported contract Panarin is seeking is around $50 million over four to five years. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the teams Friedman listed as in and out.
Who’s Willing to Extend Panarin?
Friedman broke this down by separating teams willing to offer an extension from those that aren’t. Among the teams prepared to extend him, he listed the Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, and the Carolina Hurricanes.
In an article yesterday titled NHL Trade Watch: Maple Leafs Selling, Panarin Interest, Wright On The Move?, I went over what Friedman said about each team on the latest episode of 32 Thoughts the Podcast. Here’s what I wrote:
- Los Angeles Kings: Interested, but still figuring out the long-term direction of the organization.
- Washington Capitals: Reportedly the most aggressive, but only if an extension is included.
- Carolina Hurricanes: Always interested in players like this, but cautious about fit, similar to the Mikko Rantanen situation last season.
- Florida Panthers: Panarin’s preferred destination, but extending him would be difficult.
- San Jose Sharks: Mutual interest, but uncertainty around a Macklin Celebrini extension complicates things.
- Detroit Red Wings: Interested, but only with an extension.
Panarin is an elite scorer who can instantly upgrade a team’s top six, so it’s easy to see why so many teams have interest. Of the clubs listed above, the Capitals, Sharks, and Red Wings stand out as the most realistic suitors.
As for the Panthers, Friedman did mention that Florida would likely be Panarin’s preferred destination. However, finding a way to extend him would be challenging. That said, Panthers general manager Bill Zito has shown he’s willing to be aggressive, so they can’t be ruled out entirely. The Kings and Hurricanes feel less likely. Interestingly, the Hurricanes appear in both categories simply because they tend to poke around on just about every big-name player that becomes available.
Who’s Not Willing to Extend Panarin?
Now, let’s look at the teams willing to trade for Panarin but not extend him. That essentially removes them from the race, unless Panarin suddenly becomes open to being a rental. As mentioned earlier, that doesn’t seem likely at this point. In the same article referenced above, here’s what Friedman said about the teams listed under “no extension”:
- Colorado Avalanche: Love him as a rental, but an extension isn’t realistic.
- Dallas Stars: Strong interest, but everything hinges on Jason Robertson’s future.
- Anaheim Ducks: Interested, but not willing to extend him at this time.
- Carolina Hurricanes: Always interested in players like this, but cautious about fit, similar to the Mikko Rantanen situation last season.
If Panarin landed with the Avalanche, it would probably give him the best chance to win a Stanley Cup based purely on roster strength. Unfortunately, the lack of an extension, even in the offseason, likely takes Colorado out of the mix. With Dallas, everything depends on what happens with Jason Robertson. If they decide to go in a different direction, they could re-enter the Panarin sweepstakes. For now, their priority remains getting Robertson signed.
The Ducks are an interesting case. They want to add Panarin but aren’t willing to extend him right now, though they aren’t opposed to revisiting an extension this summer. Anaheim and New York have also been frequent trade partners recently, with deals involving Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider. Lastly, as mentioned earlier, Friedman included the Hurricanes in both categories because they’re involved in nearly every major conversation. Still, it doesn’t feel overly likely they pull the trigger after what happened with the Mikko Rantanen situation last season.
Next: Insider on Possible Artemi Panarin to the Capitals Trade Return
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