Official: Rangers to trade Artemi Panarin

Marc-Olivier Cook
Official: Rangers to trade Artemi Panarin
Credit: NEWARK, NJ - APRIL 05: Artemi Panarin #10 of the New York Rangers skates during warm up prior to the game against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on April 5, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images)

It's a busy day in New York.

The Rangers have written an open letter to their fans, telling them that they're going to start a “retool” and that the team won't be focusing on the playoffs between now and the end of the season.

And we've also learned, via Elliotte Friedman, that the club will not be offering Artemi Panarin a new contract. The Russian is therefore officially available on the market and will be the most coveted player in the NHL until the trade deadline.

There's going to be interest in the Rangers forward.

Panarin celebrated his 34th birthday last October, but he's still capable of producing at an excellent rate in the NHL. He's averaging more than a point a game so far this season, and shows no signs of slowing down.

Reminder: Panarin is currently in the final year of his contract. He'll be as free as a bird as of July 1, and any team looking to snatch him up will have to pay close attention:

(Credit: Screenshot / HockeyDB)

Obviously, this is Montreal… and you have to wonder if Panarin could become an interesting player for the Canadiens.

The Russian ticks several boxes, after all: he can play on the top-6, he would immediately add offensive talent to the Habs lineup… and he could even play on the club's first unit, alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.

Adding a player of Artemi Panarin's caliber would be a huge coup. Oh, and let's not forget that Jeff Gorton knows him well too, because he's the one who brought him to New York…

The only thing that scares me is the Rangers' asking price. Because we agree: it's likely to be a lot… even if Panarin is in the last year of his contract.

90-100 point players are expensive in the National League, and I'm not sure Kent Hughes would be willing to empty his bank of picks or prospects to acquire a player who will be as free as a bird as of July 1.

But we agree that it would be quite something to see Panarin come to town. Maybe he'd like that too, joining another talented Russian player like Ivan Demidov…


Overtime

– Gally is right!

– I miss him.

– To be continued.

– Still.

– Yikes.

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