The New York Rangers have been one of the most disappointing teams to start the season. They have a 5-5-2 overall record, an 0-4-1 record on home ice, and the majority of their top players have played below average. One of these players is Artemi Panarin.
With just two goals and seven points in twelve games, this was one of the slower starts to the season in his career. With him becoming an unrestricted free agent (UFA) after this season, it makes more sense for the Rangers to move on from him even if they find themselves in a playoff position before the Trade Deadline on March 6, 2026.
Just turned 34 years old
Panarin just turned 34 on October 30, and given how little impact he’s had to start the season, one wonders if age is starting to catch up with him. The Rangers already have three strikers who are 32 years old locked up for at least the next four seasons. Those players are JT Miller, Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck. Miller and Zibanejad haven’t provided enough offense to start the season, and Trocheck has played just two games this season due to an upper-body injury.
With these three players already locked up and taking up a large chunk of cap space, does it really make sense to give a 34-year-old Panarin a new contract?
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Outside of the forwards, Igor Shesterkin turns 30 this season, and he makes $11.5 million per season. Four of the Rangers’ highest-paid players will all be over 30 by the time this season is over. By keeping Panarin around, the team will rely on these older players to carry the load, and so far this season they have been unable to do so.
When he is there, he also blocks opportunities for a younger player like Gabe Perreault, who is considered a top-six player for the Rangers and is having a great start to the season in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Hartford Wolf Pack, with four goals and eight points in eight games played.
His next contract won’t be cheap
The 2026 free agent class had the potential to be the best free agent class in history. With players like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Kirill Kaprizov all set to become UFAs, the Rangers would have been very interested if any of these players hit the open market.
But as it goes most years, these players have decided to re-sign with current teams, and now the free agent pool looks thinner than ever. Panarin is now the biggest available name that could hit the open market, and this gives him all the leverage in the negotiations.
It was reported by Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts Podcast that Panarin will go for the biggest deal he can get and that he won’t give the Rangers any discounts. If this is the case, that should make it easier for the Rangers to get rid of him, as they shouldn’t give him anywhere near the $11.6 million he’s currently making. They could use that money to bring in several other players to help fill other needs on the roster. instead of giving it to an aging player who is having a bad start to the season.
Potential trading returns can be enormous
If the Rangers make Panarin available for trade, he would become the best player on the marketand any team headed to the playoffs would want to add him to their roster. Although he has gotten off to a slow start this season, he has been a consistent player with 30 goals and 90 points when he is at the top of his game. Even if his playoff numbers aren’t the best, maybe going to a new team and playing in a new system can get more out of him.
The Rangers could get some good draft capital back or even some good prospects that they can keep as they look to add more talent to their farm system. Or they can use those picks and prospects to try to land another player to help them reach the playoffs if they are in contention at the trade deadline.
They already have the first- and second-round picks they got from the Carolina Hurricanes in the K’Andre Miller trade, so if they get more picks or prospects in a Panarin trade, they can package those assets to land a top-six player who can replace Panarin.
The Rangers will be one of the more interesting teams to watch as the season progresses. They have the talent on paper, and that talent should be good enough to get them to the playoffs, but they haven’t played like a talented team. If they continue to struggle and Panarin becomes available, it could be a trade that changes the future of the franchise. Even if they are a playoff team as the deadline approaches, they should still consider moving on from him as it would be a mistake to give him a contract extension.
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