Artemi Panarin’s future has become one of the top storylines leading into the March 6 trade deadline.
The longtime New York Rangers forward and pending unrestricted free agent is the subject of trade conversation after president and general manager Chris Drury released a statement announcing the team will “retool” and reportedly told Panarin the club will not offer him a contract extension.
Instead, New York will work with the 34-year-old winger, who has control of his situation with a full no-movement clause, to find a fit on the trade market.
How sensible is it for each team to trade for him?
This week, The Athletic asked its NHL staff to put teams into one of four categories: it makes a lot of sense, it makes some sense, it makes a little bit of sense and it makes no sense.
Here’s what they said.
Anaheim Ducks
It makes a little bit of sense
The Ducks and Rangers have been recent trade partners, with general manager Pat Verbeek adding veterans Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider as Drury looked to shed salary. Joel Quenneville also coached Panarin in Chicago, and there’s more pressure to end a long playoff drought. Anaheim has enough cap space (if New York retains 50 percent), its high picks for the next few years and some prospect capital. But if the Ducks’ forward group is healthy, there isn’t much room to add him as a rental. — Eric Stephens
Boston Bruins
It makes some sense
The Bruins could use help up front. It would be difficult for opponents to defend Panarin on one shift and David Pastrnak on the next. However, the cost of acquisition plus the investment in an extension would be quite expensive on both fronts. The Bruins would not want Panarin as a rental. — Fluto Shinzawa
Buffalo Sabres
It makes some sense
Panarin would provide a boost to Buffalo’s power play, and his playmaking ability would strengthen its top six. The big questions are what it would cost to acquire Panarin, whether he would waive his no-movement clause to play in Buffalo and whether the Sabres would have interest in or the ability to extend him. As a pure rental, it would be a gamble for Jarmo Kekäläinen, who had Panarin in Columbus. The Sabres are in a wild-card position and should be looking to add, though. — Matthew Fairburn
Calgary Flames
It makes no sense
Panarin will likely want to go to a contending team. The Flames aren’t a contender and should be building toward the future. Offloading players and draft picks for an aging, yet dynamic offensive winger isn’t quite right with the Flames’ timeline. — Julian McKenzie
Carolina Hurricanes
It makes a little bit of sense
Any team would be lucky to add Panarin because he’s one of the most offensively talented players in the world. That said, the pending free agent isn’t a great fit for Carolina’s needs, given what the acquisition cost would be. The Hurricanes are chock-full of wingers, and Panarin’s defensive shortcomings would likely give coach Rod Brind’Amour fits. Carolina will dip its toe into any trade water it can find, but Panarin is an unlikely primary target. — Cory Lavalette
Chicago Blackhawks
It makes no sense
The Blackhawks are staying their course. They’re focusing on building from within and seeing what they actually have among their many early-round picks. They’re hoping to add Anton Frondell and Roman Kantserov to their NHL mix next season. There are several reasons why the Blackhawks might not seek to acquire Panarin. From a hockey standpoint, they wouldn’t give up assets to acquire him, and he just doesn’t fit their timeline. — Scott Powers
Colorado Avalanche
It makes a little bit of sense
On one hand, this move could make sense for both sides. From Panarin’s side, there may not be a better opportunity to show his potential before hitting unrestricted free agency, playing on the best offense in hockey. From Colorado’s side, Panarin could further bolster its already juggernaut offense and help the power play. However, the Avalanche have limited future assets to offer and would need to move pieces around to create the cap space. It’s more likely they look to add a center. — Jesse Granger
Artemi Panarin played for the Blue Jackets from 2017-19. (Kirk Irwin / Getty Images)
Columbus Blue Jackets
It makes a little bit of sense
Boy, this is juicy. Panarin spent two seasons with the Blue Jackets before he signed as a free agent with the Rangers. The Blue Jackets could certainly use Panarin’s incredible, lift-all-boats skills, but the idea of him returning seems like a stretch. For one, the Jackets aren’t in a playoff spot. However, this needs to be made clear about Panarin: He didn’t leave after the 2018-19 season because he didn’t like living in central Ohio. He left because he always dreamed of playing for the Rangers. — Aaron Portzline
Dallas Stars
It makes a lot of sense
When you’ve come up one round short of the Stanley Cup Final in three straight postseasons, it’s hard to overstate the urgency a franchise feels. Jim Nill has never been shy about going big at the trade deadline — Mikko Rantanen, anyone? — and with Tyler Seguin on LTIR, there’s an obvious hole to fill. Panarin would round out a top six that already includes Rantanen, Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, Roope Hintz and Matt Duchene. No team in the NHL, not even the Avs, would be able to match that. — Mark Lazerus
Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin played together on the Blackhawks from 2015-17. (Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)
Detroit Red Wings
It makes a little bit of sense
The Red Wings could use a top-six left wing, and Panarin is a very good one. He’s also quite familiar with Patrick Kane. But Detroit’s top six is already a bit undersized, and if it’s going to make an add there, it would likely be for a player with more jam, as opposed to a more perimeter-oriented playmaker. — Max Bultman
Edmonton Oilers
It makes some sense
Acquiring Panarin would be an exceptional move for the Oilers. It would require trading Adam Henrique, plus the Rangers retaining salary. Add a first-round draft pick, a top prospect or possibly more, depending on the quality of other offers. Andrew Mangiapane would need to go in a separate deal and that could happen soon (no retention would be key). The idea is a perfect fit for the team’s needs. Panarin would have to waive his no-movement clause, and that’s a lot of “ifs,” but it’s a fantastic hockey trade in theory. — Allan Mitchell
Florida Panthers
It makes some sense
The Panthers are almost always a preferred destination for players such as Panarin, and his no-movement clause means he has control over where he goes. Where things get complicated is with the salary cap, as Florida doesn’t know for certain when Aleksander Barkov will be back and if it’ll have access to some, all or none of his cap space via LTIR at the trade deadline. Even Panarin at 50 percent retention is a big hit, so the Panthers would have to get creative to make it happen. But it could happen. — James Mirtle
Los Angeles Kings
It makes a little bit of sense
The Kings, fighting for the playoffs with the retiring Anze Kopitar, desperately need someone of Panarin’s caliber for their 31st-ranked offense. Panarin would instantly become their top scorer by a lot. But they also need to be real about what they are: an average team light on high-end skating prospects. A last-gasp move could result in lasting damage. I’d stay away, but I’m not GM Ken Holland. — Eric Stephens
Minnesota Wild
It makes a little bit of sense
A year ago, we were convinced the Wild would want to team up Kirill Kaprizov with Panarin if Panarin got to free agency. However, we are not so sure anymore. The scoring winger is 34, and it’s hard to believe the Wild are going to want to add another Paul Theofanous client after he leveraged them into giving Kaprizov a record eight-year, $136 million contract last September. Panarin can help as a rental, but the Wild’s more pressing need is a center. — Joe Smith
Montreal Canadiens
It makes no sense
The Canadiens definitely have a need for a top-six right wing, ideally one who shoots left to play with the right-shooting Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Panarin plays left wing, and he shoots right. He is also 34, and would become the oldest player on the Canadiens. To justify the acquisition cost, the Canadiens would much rather get a player who fits the age of their core. They are not at the stage of a rebuild at which you seek to add a finishing piece, which is what Panarin is. — Arpon Basu
Nashville Predators
It makes no sense
Great job by Andrew Brunette and his team to get into the thick of playoff contention — highlighted by two wins over Colorado, including a 7-3 romp that handed the Avs their first home regulation loss of the season. But GM Barry Trotz isn’t going to be a buyer, and he has essentially confirmed as much with recent comments. At most, he’s standing pat. More likely, he’s trading Ryan O’Reilly. — Joe Rexrode
New Jersey Devils
It makes a little bit of sense
The Devils are certainly in need of some spark, and Tom Fitzgerald mentioned recently wanting to add at forward. There are a few key roadblocks, though. For one, Panarin has a full no-movement clause and presumably wouldn’t waive it for a team out of the playoffs. Secondly, it would only make sense from the Devils’ perspective if he signs an extension as part of the deal. The current team hasn’t done enough to warrant trading for an expensive rental. — Peter Baugh
New York Islanders
It makes a little bit of sense
Adding an elite puck-moving winger would only help the Islanders on the ice; he would instantly become the team’s No. 1 winger and give the team a deeper forward group. But it really doesn’t make sense, despite the Isles’ playoff standing, to go after a 34-year-old pending UFA (with the team’s past interest aside). Instead, if this retooling team wants to make a splash up front, targets such as Jordan Kyrou or Jason Robertson would make a lot more sense. — Shayna Goldman
New York Rangers
It makes a lot of sense
The Rangers have already essentially said they are moving on from Panarin. They’re not offering him an extension and are working to trade him before the deadline. His time in New York is coming to a close. — Peter Baugh
Ottawa Senators
It makes a little bit of sense
The Senators acquiring an offensive winger for their top six makes sense. A player such as Panarin makes sense if you’re taking advantage of a competitive window. Ottawa, however, might not want to part with the assets needed to make a Panarin trade work. — Julian McKenzie
Philadelphia Flyers
It makes no sense
The only position the Flyers are truly deep at right now is wing, and they may have one more coming at the end of the season in prospect Porter Martone. Unless the Flyers want to extend Panarin — which seems unlikely — this probably isn’t even worth a phone call. — Kevin Kurz
Pittsburgh Penguins
It makes no sense
The Penguins would love to add star power, but not if the player is older than 30. It would make zero sense for the Penguins to add yet another player making a large amount of money on the back end of his career. Forget about it. — Josh Yohe
San Jose Sharks
It makes no sense
With no offense to Panarin and his vast offensive skills, the Sharks aren’t one potential difference-maker away from a Stanley Cup run and don’t need a 34-year-old winger to block the progress of William Eklund, Igor Chernyshov or any other oncoming prospects (Quentin Musty?), whether it’s for the short-term or the long-term picture. Some of their vast amount of cap space can be applied elsewhere, such as Macklin Celebrini’s next contract. — Eric Stephens
Seattle Kraken
It makes a little bit of sense
The Kraken have punched well above their weight, buoyed by superlative goaltending and a solid defense-first team identity. A game breaker of Panarin’s quality would improve the Kraken significantly, and give them a shot to sustain their playoff perch (and be a tougher playoff out if they get there), so it makes a bit of sense for Seattle to kick the tires. The Kraken, however, shouldn’t spend on a rental player over 30 if it’s not attached to a long-term commitment. — Thomas Drance
St. Louis Blues
It makes no sense
In what has been an offensively inept season, the Blues would love to add a point-producing winger such as Panarin. However, he’s not the answer because, first, he is 34 and that does not fit the age bracket of what the team is seeking. Even if Panarin can contribute offensively for a few more years, the Blues’ young core with Jake Neighbours, Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorsky may not be ready to compete by then. Second, Panarin will cost too much — both in a trade and on his next contract. — Jeremy Rutherford
Tampa Bay Lightning
It makes some sense
The Lightning stand as the strongest contender in the East, but management will likely look for ways to solidify that and set this team up for a deep run. So a Panarin trade could make some sense as it would strengthen the top six and add a right-handed shot to play the left circle on PP1. The problem is the Lightning’s asset pool is depleted and they’re already up against the cap, so the logistics would be tough to navigate. — Shayna Goldman
Toronto Maple Leafs
It makes some sense
On paper, Panarin would obviously be a great fit for the Leafs. He could give Auston Matthews the elite sidekick he’s lacked since Mitch Marner’s departure. But what about the assets needed to acquire him? The Leafs don’t have many and already have a Chris Tanev-sized hole on defense that needs filling. If there were a path to getting both — Panarin and an upgrade on defense — that would be a home run for the Leafs. It just doesn’t seem likely. — Jonas Siegel
Utah Mammoth
It makes no sense
Utah has a good chance of making the playoffs and certainly has the excess draft picks and deep prospect pool to make an aggressive addition if it wants. However, this is a very young core that is just beginning to rise, not a bona fide Cup contender. With that in mind, if the Mammoth take a big, expensive swing on a deadline acquisition, it should probably be for a player that has term beyond this season rather than an older rental such as Panarin. — Harman Dayal
Vancouver Canucks
It makes no sense
The Canucks are rebuilding. This is the opposite of the sort of trades they should and will be making. — Thomas Drance
Vegas Golden Knights
It makes no sense
The Golden Knights don’t have the cap space to fit even half of Panarin’s $11.6 million (assuming retention), and they certainly won’t have the space to sign him to an extension beyond this season. Yes, they’ve taken plenty of big swings for star players, but they typically only do so when they believe they’ll sign them long-term, and that doesn’t feel realistic with Panarin. — Jesse Granger
Washington Capitals
It makes a lot of sense
Ignoring for a second the whole “trading a star within the division” element, Panarin couldn’t make more sense in D.C. The Capitals are openly looking for a high-end winger, have a solid crop of prospects and have all of their own first-round picks for the foreseeable future. Panarin would push them squarely back toward the top of the Metro Division, set them up for another playoff run with Alex Ovechkin and potentially fit with the rest of a win-now core for the next few years. — Sean Gentille
Winnipeg Jets
It makes no sense
The Jets, desperate for scoring beyond the top line, would obviously benefit from adding a dynamic game breaker such as Panarin to their lineup. However, with Winnipeg sitting 31st in the NHL standings, it’d be impossible to justify paying a lucrative package to acquire a top-flight rental. The Jets aren’t one or two pieces away from contending and should use this as a year to hold onto their picks and prospects. — Harman Dayal