The New York Rangers are having some tough conversations about Artemi Panarin’s future as the star winger enters the final year of his massive contract.
Panarin, who’s been lighting up Madison Square Garden since 2019, carries the NHL’s biggest cap hit among wingers at $11.6 million.
Now the Rangers are hoping he might take a page from Anze Kopitar’s playbook.
“I understand the Rangers had that conceptual conversation with Panarin: ‘Is there a way you could do for the Rangers what Kopitar did for the Kings?'” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed on his 32 Thoughts Podcast.
It’s an interesting comparison. Kopitar just signed a team-friendly deal with Los Angeles – a two-year extension worth $7 million per season. That’s quite a drop from his previous $80 million contract.
The 33-year-old Panarin isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. He put up 89 points in 80 games last season, still one of the NHL’s most creative playmakers.
But timing is everything in hockey.
The Rangers are looking ahead to 2026, when some of the game’s biggest stars could hit the market. We’re talking Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, and Jack Eichel.
That’s got New York’s front office doing some serious math.
“Obviously, at this point, it hasn’t happened,” Friedman noted about a potential Panarin extension. “I don’t know where that’s going to go.”
For Panarin, taking less money would mean stability in the Big Apple – but he’d be leaving some serious cash on the table if other teams come calling.
The Rangers are at a crossroads. They could stick with their current core built around Panarin, or they might want to free up space for a younger superstar down the road.
Either way, they’ll need to make their move before next summer’s trade deadline, when Panarin becomes an unrestricted free agent.
