Rangers' Panarin Linked To Surprising Team In West

The New York Rangers have struggled out of the gate this season and have a 3-4-1 record. While the season is long and a ton can change, Artemi Panarin is a UFA after the season and doesn't seem to want to take a discount to stay with the Rangers. This doesn't have to change the whole direction of the team as there would be plenty of space to add, but he could also be traded if the season isn't going the best.

Frank Seravalli spoke on Insider Notebook about the potential of Panarin going to the Minnesota Wild and said, "I could see that. I think they make a ton of sense. If you could find a way to make a reasonable deal for Panarin, I think that they could make it an interesting fit."

Acquiring Panarin in a trade would be easier for the Wild as they would be able to have the Rangers retain some of his salary to fit him in. If Minnesota were to target him in free agency, then it doesn't seem like Panarin is going to be taking any discounts for his likely final contract and there would be some bigger roster moves made. Fortunately, there are multiple top players on good deals to offset Kirill Kaprizov's massive contract starting next season.

The cap is rising, and players like Vladimir Tarasenko ($4.75 million AAV) and Mats Zuccarello ($4.125 million AAV) are coming off the books to create more room. The Wild are 3-3-1, so nothing special just yet, but they can be better judged 25-30 games into the season to see what's needed.

Bringing in a player like Panarin would do wonders for the Wild though. Their skill up front is lacking and the power play is what is carrying the team this season so far. The depth has been invisible scoring-wise, so acquiring Panarin would push some point producers down the lineup and spread things out even more.

The Wild aren't known for making big splashes like trading for Panarin, but with the core signed and Minnesota having been a team in the mix for years, a big move is what they could use to really elevate them in that competitive Central Division.