The Rangers Should Extend Artemi Panarin Now
Artemi Panarin's contract is coming to an end, but that should not mean his time with the Rangers is over.
When Artemi Panarin first arrived in New York City in the 2019 offseason, fans could not have been more excited. From that point on, Panarin has been the star forward the team needed. After signing his seven-year deal with the Rangers, the Breadman has recorded 550 points, the fourth most of any NHL player during that timeframe.
Going into the 2025-26 season, Panarin is entering the final year of his contract and is now eligible to sign an extension at any time. At this point, it seems very likely the team and general manager Chris Drury will wait until next offseason to make a decision on resigning Panarin. While there are reasons to wait, there is plenty of motive to extend him now.
One of the many arguments against extending Panarin is that he is coming off a down year. Last season, Panarin was still able to put up 89 points in 80 games, despite the team around him struggling. While this was his second-lowest point total during his tenure with the Blueshirts, he managed to register 37 goals, the second-highest of his career, indicating that he still has gas in the tank.
