Nearly 10 Teams Linked To Rangers' Panarin
Artemi Panarin is being held out of the New York Rangers' lineup until at least the Olympic break. The team doesn't want anything happening to their coveted trade asset as he is going to be traded one way or another before the deadline. There have been plenty of teams linked to Panarin over the past while, and one of them is most likely going to land him barring a team coming in out of nowhere.
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are the top team in the league, but with the kind of season they're having and the team they'll have to get through in the second round, they have to load up as much as they can. It may not be a fit to acquire Panarin and give him an extension like some other teams can, but he would have a great opportunity to win the Stanley Cup on the favourites.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes would see Panarin as the perfect target for them as the team has plenty of cap space to extend him at a large number and are once again looking to bring in an elite player to help with their Cup chances, not just this season, but to stick around for a little bit as well. Whether or not Panarin is a fit in the system may be seen if the Hurricanes are the one to land him.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are in that same elite top of the Central Division and will have to get through the Minnesota Wild and Avalanche to make it deep this season. With Tyler Seguin out for the season, cap space, and a thin depth, at least one big name needs to be added to the group.
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings would be looking to not only bring in Panarin to help with their playoff chase this season, but to help them in the seasons to come. They are on the decline and Anze Kopitar is retiring after the season, so there will be cap space, a huge need for more scoring, and it could be the start of a better retool to stay relevant.
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals haven't been playing very well and sit eight points out of a playoff spot. They seem like a longer shot, but also, Panarin could be a great replacement for Alexander Ovechkin if this is his final season in North America. Even if it isn't, the Capitals could do with bolstering their roster again like they did prior to last season.
Minnesota Wild
The third juggernaut team in the Central division is the Wild, and they have already made the biggest splash of the season by acquiring Quinn Hughes. They are not done there and appear to be dangling Jesper Wallstedt to bring in someone big. He wouldn't necessarily be a fit for the Rangers, but that's what they're willing to do to have an even better chance. They haven't made it out of the first round in many years and they are in win now mode.
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are another team with a ton of cap space and a need for a real game-changer up front. They are on the rise, and even with injuries, they have been playing great and are in a good spot in the standings. With Joel Quenneville there, many veterans being UFAs after the season, and assets to give up, this could be a great place for Panarin to sign and get the Ducks to the peak on his contract extension.
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings have tons of space and have to not only get into the playoffs, but give it a good run. A lot has come together for the team and they have plenty of prospects and their picks to provide to land Panarin. And for something extra, it would be a nice reunion with Patrick Kane, then having three formerly very good Chicago Blackhawks players.
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are on the less realistic side of the spectrum when it comes to landing Panarin. They are out of a playoff spot and they don't have the space to re-sign him. If Aleksander Barkov is going to be back come playoff time, then the cap space wouldn't work either. Florida is reportedly a place he would like to go play for and yes, they have won back-to-back Stanley Cups, but it's more of a transition year and they aren't guaranteed anything this season.
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