James Guillory-Imagn ImagesThe New York Rangers have a big decision to make regarding the future of Artemi Panarin.
After the 2025-26 season, Panarin’s eight-year, $81.5 million will expire and he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent.
It feels like just yesterday when Panarin signed the historic contract, but seven years later, that deal is almost over and the Rangers have a couple of different routes they can take in terms of Panarin’s status.
At this stage in Panarin’s career, he’s still productive. The superstar forward posted 120 points during the 2023-24 campaign and is coming off of an 89-point season.
There’s no doubt that Panarin is still one of the top point-getters in the entire NHL, so giving him a contract extension either this summer or anytime before he becomes an unrestricted free agent is certainly not out of the question and is a strong possibility.
Arthur Staple of The Athletic reported that Panarin is one of the team’s only untouchables in trade talks, proving the Rangers still value him tremendously.
However, there’s one issue. Panarin is 33-years-old and will still garner a steep price given his recent production.
If the Rangers decide to dish out a long-term contract extension, it may not age very well as Father Time is undefeated and he is definitely not getting any younger.
Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury already sent a resounding message by trading Chris Kreider. The second Kreider’s game seemed to take a dip, he was no longer willing to take on his $6.5 million AAV.
The Rangers are at a strange middle ground where they are still looking to compete, yet Drury has weeded out some of the veteran players on what some would consider iffy contracts, including Barclay Goodrow, Jacob Trouba, and most recently Kreider.
We may be a year away from when Panarin hits the open market, but a decision about his future will have to come sooner than that.