It has been anything but what Mike Sullivan expected out of his first NHL season with the New York Rangers. Nothing has gone to plan and Artemi Panarin’s time in The Big Apple is running finite.
Chris Drury has proven he isn’t afraid to pull the trigger on big moves. However, those have always been on renowned players’ departures rather than landing starpower in the NHL. Moreover, the Rangers have yet to see dividends from their roster losses.
Instead, fans in New York have watched those who left thrive in their new homes, while the floor creaks and gives way beneath them, the walls close in, and the roof caves in at Madison Square Garden. It’s pandemonium in the City That Never Sleeps, and another star may well be on his way out.
Panarin will be traded, the question is where
When it comes to Panarin; Sullivan, Drury, and the front office may have some intel on where the 30-year-old is likely to accept a trade to. There might be several Stanley Cup contenders in the NHL interested in Panarin but it will all eventually come down to ‘The Breadman’, who has the final say on his future.
Artemi Panarin at Madison Square Garden.
“There’s still a conversation that needs to happen with his agent and where he might play, but you can start to look at places that make sense, places maybe where there’s other Russian players,” insider Chris Johnston reported on Panarin’s situation.
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Some places that make sense for Panarin
There’s no shortage of Russian talent in the NHL. However, players from the Motherland usually stick together in the league, often hoping to land at places where other fellow countrymen are. On that note, Panarin (who will also hope to have another go at the Stanley Cup) could be favoring a couple of teams. Chief among them may be the Minnesota Wild, Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Of course, there must be interest from the clubs, too. But those franchises currently feature some top Russian talents Panarin may look forward to join. As for New York, it won’t be as eager to send Panarin to a divisional opponent, and most likely will look for a trade partner in the Western Conference.
Panarin’s contract situation
Panarin is playing through the final season of his seven-year, $81.5 million deal with the Rangers. As Drury revealed to Panarin and the fanbase, New York will not work on an extension for the Russian star. Thus, it’s clear that the Broadway Blueshirts will search for a trade partner instead of letting Panarin walk as an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in the summer.
However, Panarin boasts a full no movement clause (NMC) in his contract, which means he can veto any trade New York comes up with. Based on his honest reaction to the news of the Rangers looking in different directions, it looks like there is no bad blood between the player and his club.
“It’s hard to say how I feel,” Panarin admitted to The Athletic. “I’m still confused, but the GM decided to go in a different direction. I’m OK with that.” Panarin’s statement could suggest the player and his camp won’t make things harder than they have to be, but he will still keep his best interests at heart when the Rangers come at him with potential trades.
