The Rangers Shouldn’t Rush Into an Artemi Panarin Contract Extension
A make-or-break year looms for both Panarin and the Rangers—will loyalty, cap space, or future flexibility win out?
There is a lot riding on this upcoming season for the New York Rangers. And, luckily for the players, they set a pretty low bar last season. Lucky only in the sense that the expectations are much lower than what they were this time last year and, as a result, achieving their goal for the regular season should be easier, especially in a weaker Metropolitan Division. Any situation where they simply make the playoffs will be a step in the right direction, but in terms of regaining their status as contenders, the organization needs to look beyond this year.
When you look at the pending free agents that Chris Drury and company will need to be mindful of heading into this season, there aren’t a ton of names attached to expiring contracts. Most of them can be found on the back end, as both Braden Schneider and Scott Morrow will become restricted free agents, while Carson Soucy is set to become an unrestricted free agent. In terms of forwards, the Rangers really only have two key pieces set to become UFAs: Jonny Brodzinski, who, respectfully, can be replaced relatively easily; and a bit of a more complicated situation with their star forward Artemi Panarin.
Panarin signing with the Rangers was a franchise altering move. Signing on July 1 of 2019, Panarin came to a team in the midst of a rebuild. With young stars like Adam Fox, Igor Shesterkin, and tons of draft capital, the Rangers were building something that could potentially turn them into a team that wasn’t just going to contend for just one Cup, but for multiple. Panarin hitting the open market and wanting to come to New York changed everything—for better or worse—and truly expedited the rebuild process.
