‘Zero Doubt’ The Rangers Will Trade Artemi Panarin—Under Specific Circumstances

Despite a five-goal outbreak against the Philadelphia Flyers on the weekend, the New York Rangers have been struggling to score. They have four games of zero or one goal in their last seven, and currently sit dead last in the Eastern Conference with just 97 goals scored this season, in 38 games, going into Tuesday's action.

But their leading scorer, Artemi Panarin, might not be long for the Big Apple. A pending unrestricted free agent, he has had no extension talks since turning down a discounted offer from the Rangers back in the summer. And insider Frank Seravalli says GM Chris Drury will not sit on his hands at the trade deadline, depending on one important factor:

If the New York Rangers, in mid February, are on the outside looking in (as far as being a real contender), I have zero doubt that Chris Drury is going to pull the trigger and make a trade to move on from Artemi Panarin. He will be asking for significant money, and more importantly over a significant term.

Panarin will be 35 a couple of weeks into next season, as he begins his next contract.

But for Drury, the Rangers need to figure out who they're going to be in the future. Not just where they stand in the 2025-26 Wild Card race. And that's what will inform the GM of what to do.

"What's the next iteration of the team?," asked Seravalli, rhetorically. "Are they taking a step back and retooling and figuring out who that next generation of players is going to be to help them score? Or are they going for it?"

Yes, the Rangers are smack dab in the middle of a pack of eight teams separated by just four points, fighting for the two Wild Card berths. So it can go either way for this season. But the insider doesn't feel that Drury will necessarily be caught up in that. Rather, he'll be thinking along the lines of a "30,000 foot view"—do they have an authentic chance to win?

And the answer to that question is what will feed into Artemi Panarin's future in New York.