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Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Playoffs or Not, The Rangers Should Move on From Artemi Panarin

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Lucas Standel | Last updated Nov 1, 2025 3:05 PM ET

The New York Rangers have been one of the more disappointing teams to start the season. They have an overall record of 5-5-2, a record of 0-4-1 on home ice, and a majority of their top players have played below average. One of these players is Artemi Panarin.

With only two goals and seven points in 12 games, this has been 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 are in a playoff position by the Trade Deadline on March 6, 2026.

Just Turned 34 Years Old

Panarin just turned 34 years old on Oct. 30, and with how unimpactful he has been to start the season, it’s fair to question if age is starting to catch up to him. The Rangers already have three forwards aged 32 who are locked up for at least the next four seasons. Those players are J.T. Miller, Mika Zibanejad, and Vincent Trocheck. Miller and Zibanejad have not been providing enough offense to start the season, and Trocheck has played only 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?

Outside of the forwards, Igor Shesterkin is going to turn 30 years old 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. Keeping Panarin around means that the team will rely on these older players to carry the load, and so far this season, they haven’t proved capable of doing so.

Having him around will also block opportunities for a younger player like Gabe Perreault, who is seen as a top-six player for the Rangers moving forward, and he 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 Come 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 scheduled to become UFAs, the Rangers would have been heavily interested if any of these players hit the open market.

However, as it goes most years, these players have decided to re-sign with the current teams, and now, the free agent pool looks thinner than it once did. Panarin is now the biggest name available that could hit the open market, and because of this, he has all the leverage in negotiations.

Friedman on 32TP: "Panarin is going to go for the biggest deal he can get"
— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) October 31, 2025

It was reported by Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts Podcast that Panarin is going to go for the biggest deal he can get and won’t be giving the Rangers any discount. If this is the case, that should make it easier for the Rangers to move on from him, as they should not be giving him anywhere close to the $11.6 million he’s making right now. They could use that money to bring in multiple other players to help fill out other needs on the roster, rather than giving it to an aging player who’s having a bad start to the season.

A Potential Trade Return Could be Huge

If the Rangers do make Panarin available for trade, he would become the best player on the market, and any team heading towards the playoffs would want to add him to their team. While he has gotten off to a slow start this season, he is a consistent 30-goal, 90-point player when he’s on top of his game, and while his playoff numbers are not the best, maybe going to a new team and playing in a new system can get more out of him.

Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

The Rangers could get back some good draft capital or even some good prospects that they could keep as they try to add more talent to their farm system. Or, they could use those picks and prospects to try and bring in another player to help them push for the playoffs if they are in the race 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 back more picks or prospects in a Panarin trade, they could package those assets to bring in a top-six player to replace Panarin.

The Rangers are going to be one of the more interesting teams to watch as the season goes along. They have the talent on paper, and that talent should be good enough to get them to the playoffs, but they have not been playing like a talented team. If they do continue to struggle and Panarin becomes available, that could be a trade that alters the future of the franchise. Even if they are a playoff team come the deadline, they should still consider moving on from him, as giving him a contract extension would be a mistake.