Much speculation surrounds Artemi Panarin’s situation with the New York Rangers. Amid a contract season in the 2025-26 NHL campaign, the former undrafted star is playing for his future in the league. On that note, a report suggests Mike Sullivan and the brass in NYC might know where Panarin’s mind is at.
Through 13 games in the 2025-26 NHL season, Panarin registers 7 points (2G, 5A), which is the third-most by any player on the Rangers. Needless to say, that stat goes to show how much Sullivan’s team has struggled to produce in the year. Still, the sun is starting to rise over the East River.
Riding a three-game win streak and with pucks finally going in bunches, the Rangers have reason to believe they can make noise in the NHL. However, as much as the Broadway Blueshirts crave immediate success, they also hope for long-term stability—and keeping Panarin in town could go a long way toward achieving that.
“I think Artemi Panarin wants to be in New York, and we’ll see if this works out,” insider Elliotte Friedman commented on the 32 Thoughts podcast. “The Rangers have talked to him about shorter term, lesser money.”
Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Seven years, five boroughs
Panarin is playing on the final NHL season of his seven-year, $81.5 million contract. Panarin signed his current deal with the Rangers in 2019, and has been a staple of New York hockey since. However, seven years later, his contract comes to an end and he is eligible to sign an extension.
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City that never sleeps
Since arriving in New York City, Panarin has played the best hockey of his NHL career. However, much has been said about his production in the Stanley Cup Playoffs—the biggest asterisk in his professional journey.
Leaving the ongoing NHL campaign out of the math, Panarin has recorded 550 points (186 goals and 364 assists) in 430 games with the Rangers. The 34-year-old winger averages 1.27 points per game in the regular season with the Blueshirts. However, his numbers take a toll come playoff time. The Breadman registers 35 points (12G, 23A) in 46 postseason games in New York. That makes for an average of 0.76 points per outing.
Obviously, the ice gets smaller and goals become harder to come by once the Stanley Cup Playoffs arrive, but fans in the Capital of the World can’t help but feel that the team’s star tends to dim when the lights shine the brightest.
