The clock is ticking in New York. According to NHL insider Darren Dreger, contract talks between the New York Rangers and superstar winger Artemi Panarin have hit a wall. With the March 6 trade deadline approaching and Panarin set to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1, the Rangers are facing a franchise-altering decision.
Here is the immediate takeaway: The Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars, and Vegas Golden Knights have surfaced as potential landing spots. However, Panarin holds the cards with a full No-Movement Clause (NMC). He decides if he stays or goes.
While the Rangers are reportedly waiting until late January to decide if they are sellers, the sheer smoke around these rumors suggests General Manager Chris Drury is exploring options. If you are a Rangers fan, you need to buckle up—the idea of moving a 90-point player in-season is rare, but the return could reshape the team’s future.
Let’s dig into the reality of this situation. As someone who has watched the cap gymnastics in the NHL for years, this rumor is as fascinating as it is complicated.
Darren Dreger dropping the Panthers, Stars, and Golden Knights as suitors isn’t surprising—these are teams that hunt big game. But making the money work is where this gets messy.
The Cap Crunch Reality
Let’s look at the Florida Panthers. The idea of adding Panarin to a forward group that already boasts Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk is terrifying for the rest of the Atlantic Division. However, the math is brutal. With Tkachuk coming off LTIR and the team needing to reserve space for a potential Barkov return before the playoffs, fitting Panarin’s contract in would require a masterclass in cap circumvention or a third team to broker the deal and retain salary.
The Vegas Golden Knights are in a similar boat. They are the kings of LTIR manipulation to load up for playoff runs, but even they have limits.
The “Nuclear” Option: Panarin for Robertson?
Here is where my ears really perked up. The Dallas Stars are pressed against the cap, but the rumor mill has churned out a fascinating hypothetical: Jason Robertson.
Robertson’s name has been floating in trade rumors recently. Could we see a package deal where Panarin (plus picks or prospects to balance the age/contract control gap) heads to Dallas, and Robertson comes to Broadway?
From a Rangers perspective, this is the dream scenario. You trade an expiring asset in Panarin for a younger, elite scorer in Robertson who fits the retool timeline better. For Dallas, they get a veteran game-breaker who knows what it takes to drive offense in the playoffs right now. It sounds crazy, but in today’s NHL, crazy trades are sometimes the only ones that work mathematically.
My Personal Take
The Rangers are playing a dangerous game of chicken. Waiting until the end of January to decide their direction is prudent, but if Panarin signals he isn’t re-signing, Drury cannot let him walk for free on July 1. Even with the NMC hurdle, if Panarin wants a legitimate shot at a Cup this year, he might look at the rosters in Florida, Vegas, or Dallas and be willing to wave goodbye to MSG.
Find the Latest New York Rangers News and Join the Action
Don’t miss a beat of this developing saga. Bookmark nhltraderumor.com for the absolute latest New York Rangers news as we approach the deadline. Think you know who will score tonight? Join our Fantasy Hockey Pool for a chance to win cash prizes! Also, check our listings to find out how to watch the NYR game on TV today.
The post Is Artemi Panarin Done in NY? 3 Contenders Pursuing Rangers Star appeared first on NHL Trade Rumors.
