The New York Rangers sent a letter to their fans, preparing them for a re-tool. That has led to everyone across the league preparing for the Rangers to trade for Artemi Panarin before the March 6 trade deadline. The Athletic's Peter Baugh has more on the Panarin trade conversations, which the player has not chimed in on.
“Panarin has not disclosed his desires regarding potential trade destinations,” Baugh wrote. “That potentially won’t change until a deal materializes. One element to monitor is whether he will seek an extension with a new team in conjunction with a trade. People around the league have speculated that could be his preference, though Panarin or his camp have not given an indication one way or the other.”
The Rangers have other players they could trade as part of the re-tool. But many of those players are on long-term deals or have trade protection. Panarin has a full no-move clause, but the lack of an extension from the Rangers should get him to waive it. Baugh goes into why an extension is an important piece of the trade.
“If the 34-year-old Panarin signs an extension as part of a trade, he will not have to move twice and will have immediate clarity on his future. It could boost the Rangers’ return, too. New York would not be trading a rental player but instead one with team control. Of course, if Panarin has only one destination in mind, the package the Rangers get back could be limited, regardless of whether an extension is in place.”
The Rangers have questions to answer
Not only has Panarin not publicly spoken about the trade possibility, but general manager Chris Drury has not spoken since sending the letter. No one knows how deep this retool will go, but the choice of words should inform deadline predictions. Alexis Lafreniere is the piece many think could be moved, but he has a large contract.
The Rangers drafted Lafreniere first overall in 2020 after winning the draft lottery. His development has stalled, and he is not worth the $7.45 million payday coming his way through 2032. But the positive for the Rangers is that his trade protection does not kick in until July 1, 2027.
If the Rangers trade Panarin and Lafreniere, they would be kicking off the re-tool with significant moves. Panarin is as good as gone, with Stanley Cup contenders likely lining up to add him to their top six. But Lafreniere is a different bet that a team outside of the traditional contenders could make. How deep will this Rangers re-tool go?
