Artemi Panarin became the hottest name on the trade market Friday after reports emerged that the New York Rangers won’t offer him a new contract extension.
The Rangers forward becomes a pending unrestricted free agent this summer. He carries a full no-movement clause and an $11.642 million cap hit.
The Rangers will likely need to retain salary to make any deal work.
Even with salary retention, few contenders have the cap space or assets to acquire a player of Panarin’s caliber. The 34-year-old has 51 points in 47 games this season.
He’s been the NHL’s fifth-highest scorer since joining the Rangers in 2019-20.
Here are five teams that could pursue Panarin before the March 6 trade deadline.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers don’t have the money but they have the assets. More importantly, they’re back-to-back Stanley Cup champions.
Florida didn’t appear to have the capital to acquire Seth Jones or Brad Marchand last season. The organization still found a way to add both players.
Marchand later revealed he’d only accept a trade to Florida, which kept the cost down.
Panarin has a longtime friendship with Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. That connection could make Florida appealing if he’s chasing a Stanley Cup.
The Panthers might prefer to avoid the cap gymnastics that come with adding Panarin. They’re focused on getting Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk back for the playoffs.
Still, Florida didn’t earn its reputation as the league’s most aggressive team by accident.
Washington Capitals
Capitals general manager Chris Patrick expressed interest Friday in pursuing a “higher-end skilled winger” before the deadline.
The timing couldn’t be better.
No winger on the market is more skilled than Panarin. The Capitals have the money to make it work.
Teaming up with countryman Alex Ovechkin for a Cup run has to be appealing. This might be the all-time goal scorer’s final season.
Patrick also noted that he wasn’t willing to part with top prospect Cole Hutson in a potential Quinn Hughes trade. It’s unclear what Washington would offer for Panarin as a rental.
Vegas Golden Knights
You can never count out the Golden Knights during trade season. Vegas’ prospect pipeline is thin after years of going all-in.
The club could have an extra $5.9 million in cap space if William Karlsson is ruled out for the playoffs. He’s currently on long-term injured reserve.
His stashed cap hit would allow Vegas to add Panarin at 50% salary retention.
Vegas might prefer to pursue a center over a winger. The team recently moved Mitch Marner to the middle to address depth issues.
If that experiment continues, there could be a fit for Panarin in a loaded top six. That group includes Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Pavel Dorofeyev.
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings are in the playoff hunt despite ranking 31st in goals scored and 27th on the power play. Adding a game-breaking talent could transform their attack.
Panarin would be a huge upgrade over Los Angeles’ current top-six left wingers: Jeff Malott and Warren Foegele.
L.A. has the financial flexibility to make a deal work. The team doesn’t have a strong prospect group.
The Kings own their first-round picks for the next three years. They also have multiple second- and third-round picks to entice Rangers general manager Chris Drury.
That’s assuming Panarin wants to finish the season in Hollywood.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes made franchise-altering deadline moves in recent years. They acquired Jake Guentzel in 2024 before trading for and flipping Mikko Rantanen last season.
Carolina has ample cap space, four first-round picks over the next three years, and a solid prospect collection.
The Hurricanes are positioned to make another big move.
They’re the clear favorite in the Metropolitan Division. The team could be more motivated than ever after another disappointing exit in last year’s Eastern Conference Final.
Adding Panarin could push a Stanley Cup-ready roster over the top.
