Could Artemi Panarin swap Rangers blue for Islanders orange? NHL insider Elliotte Friedman believes it's a perfect fit.
The New York Rangers have a decision to make regarding pending unrestricted free agent forward Artemi Panarin.
The Rangers are off to an "eh" start in 2025-26, owning a 3-4-1 record through their opening eight games, with Panarin, who is in the final season of a seven-year deal worth $11.642 million annually, recording seven points (two goals, five assists).
While the season is brand new, Rangers general manager Chris Drury will have to make a decision about the 33-year-old's future, as the left winger isn't getting any younger and the offense isn't strong enough or consistent enough even with his presence in the lineup.
If Drury ultimately decides that moving on from Panarin is the best course of action, trading him at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline is the right move. There will be many contenders who'd love to get their hands on Panarin, whether it's as a pure rental or as someone who will be with that team for at least the next few years -- the Minnesota Wild, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Florida Panthers come to mind immediately.
One team that won't be trading for Panarin is the New York Islanders. Even if the Islanders are in a position to buy ahead of March 6th's deadline, it's incredibly unlikely that the two arch-rivals would be trade partners.
However, if Panarin makes his way to free agency, the Islanders are a team that could have interest.
On Tuesday's episode of Morning Cuppa Hockey with Jonny Lazarus and Colby Cohen, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman agreed with Lazarus that the Islanders would be a perfect fit for Panarin, "100%".
*Talk on Islanders and Panarin begins at 42:40.
For those who remember, the Islanders had offered Panarin more money back in the summer of 2019, yet he took less to join the Rangers. The Islanders thought they had him, and when they didn't win the Panarin sweepstakes, they signed Anders Lee to a seven-year deal worth $7 million annually.
Like the Rangers, the Islanders are in a much different situation than they were back in 2019. There's an eye on the future under first-year general manager Mathieu Darche, who didn't go long term with any of his signings this summer outside of defenseman Alexander Romanov (eight-year deal worth $6.25 million annually).
With the likes of Cole Eiserman, Calum Ritchie, Victor Eklund, and Danny Nelson, to name a few, likely to make the jump to the organization and hopefully the NHL squad over the next two-to-three years, Darche will not handcuff himself cap wise or roster wise for a player who is exiting his prime.
That doesn't mean Darche will shy away from going after the top players available on the market, but unless Panarin is taking a pay cut and is open to a short-term deal ranging from three-to-four years, seeing the leg-kicking Panarin in Long Island's Blue & Orange isn't likely.
While Panarin is a talented player and could fit well in the club's top six, the organization are still in need of that elite sniping goal scorer, with the hope that Eiserman can be that guy.
Someone will have to be feeding Eiserman, though. Could that be Panarin?