The New York Rangers remain at an impasse with superstar forward Artemi Panarin. Panarin’s impending UFA status has been widely discussed since the summer.
While the prevailing chatter is that both sides want to remain together, figuring out a deal may not be quite so easy. According to insider Nick Kypreos, the sticking point remains the dollar figures on his next contract.
In his November 5 column published on Sportsnet, Kypreos made it clear that Panarin does not want to come down from his $11.64 million cap hit. Meanwhile, the Rangers would love to have him back, but not at that price tag. Hence, Panarin and the Rangers find themselves at an impasse.
Based on that situation, Kypreos stated that the Rangers may be willing to trade Panarin. The insider named two teams, in particular: The Carolina Hurricanes and the Minnesota Wild.
The Hurricanes have been one of the teams most actively looking for a big fish. They traded for Mikko Rantanen last season and missed out on Mitch Marner. So, Panarin would certainly fit that profile.
But the other interesting team is Minnesota. The Rangers may be more willing to move Panarin to a Western Conference team, especially since Panarin could join his countryman Kirill Kaprizov.
The Wild, like the Hurricanes, have been looking to make a splash. The Wild see themselves as contenders and want to do everything they can to boost their competitiveness, especially with Kaprizov extended long-term.
Rangers Must Deal with Panarin’s No-Trade Clause
The biggest obstacle the Rangers will need to get past will be Panarin’s no-trade clause. As it stands, Panarin controls his destiny. If he wants to, he’ll agree to a move. If he doesn’t, he’ll stand pat in New York.
That’s both a good thing and a bad thing.
On the positive side, Panarin feels comfortable with the Rangers. He hasn’t hinted that he wants to necessarily leave. So, he could just stand his ground and play out the season in New York.
On the negative side, Panarin could pretty much block any move the Rangers could make. Even if the Rangers could land a king’s ransom for Panarin, the Russian star could merely nix his no-trade clause and call it a day.
But then again, things might change if the right deal came along.
Panarin Might Waive No-Trade Clause for the Right Team
There might be a situation in which Panarin agrees to a trade. That would depend on two specific situations. First, the trade would have to be to a contending team. That contending team would have to be close enough to the Stanley Cup to where Panarin’s addition could push them over the top.
Second, that team could be willing to give Panarin the contract extension he wants. That team would have to be one with enough cap space to fit Panarin’s $11 million cap hit, unless the Rangers were willing to retain around half of it for the remainder of the season.
The first condition would be a non-negotiable. However, the second may not be so ironclad. Panarin might be willing to serve as a rental on a contender, and then see what plays out in free agency.
Ultimately, it all depends on where the Rangers are in about a month or so. If the Blueshirts are clearly out of playoff contention, talk surrounding a Panarin trade will likely pick up.
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