Artemi Panarin has one year remaining on his seven-year, $81.5 million contract with the New York Rangers as he's set to become an unrestricted free agent during the 2026 offseason.
Are the Rangers open to the idea of signing Panarin to a contract extension and have negotiations officially begun?
Rangers general manager Chris Drury addressed the media on Wednesday, and he wouldn't comment on whether he and Panarin's camp have started extension talks.
There are two sides to this story.
On the one hand, Panarin is still playing at an elite level as he recorded a career-high 120 points during the 2023-24 campaign, and he's coming off of an 89-point season.
Aside from maybe Igor Shesterkin, Panarin was the Rangers' most impactful and valuable player, which has been the case since he arrived to The Big Apple in 2019.
Possibly losing Panarin could be extremely costly for a Rangers team that relies on him for a large chunk of their offensive production.
However, committing long-term to a 33-year-old forward, soon to be 34-year-old forward may ultimately be a detriment for the Rangers down the road.
Sure, Panarin is producing at a high level now, but who's to say what he'll be as a player in two, three years from now.
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Drury has shown a desire to reshape the team's core, and it's unclear where Panarin fits in that whole picture.
Panarin could very well be entering the 2025-26 season without a contract extension, which leads to more questions about the Rangers' direction and Panarin's future.
