With Artemi Panarin officially being held out of the lineup by the New York Rangers for “roster management” reasons, it seems a trade could be coming relatively soon. While some fans might expect the Rangers to get back a good number of assets for this player, that might not be the case. In this piece, we are going to go over some reasons why Panarin’s trade return might be less than what fans expect it to be.
Panarin Controls Where He Wants to Play
One of, if not the biggest, reasons as to why the trade return might be limited is because Panarin has full control over which team he wants to go to. He has a full no-move clause in his contract, so since the Rangers want to trade him, they have to ask him for a list of teams he’d consider getting traded to. While there are many teams rumored to be interested in Panarin, it’s ultimately up to him, and if he only gives the Rangers one or two teams he wants to get traded to, that severely limits the amount of assets they can get back in a deal.
Another aspect to this is that it is being reported that Panarin would like to sign a contract extension with whatever team he gets moved to as part of this process. So, while many teams would like to acquire him, if they don’t have the money to give him an extension, that will likely take them out of the bidding. With the Olympic roster freeze coming up on Feb. 4, it seems the Rangers want to get this deal done before then. So right now, it’s up to Panarin to decide what teams he is willing to go to and for the Rangers to try and make a deal with one of those said teams.
Centers Get More in Trades Than Wingers
Another reason why Panarin’s trade return might be limited is due to his not playing center. At this time of year, most teams that are pushing for the playoffs are looking to upgrade at the center ice position, not on the wings. When certain players like Mikko Rantanen, who was traded last season, become available, teams are going to want to give up assets for him, even though he’s not a center. While Panarin is a great player, he’s not on the same level as Rantanen and is five years older than he is. So if Rangers fans are expecting a similar return to what Rantanen got in either of his trades, those expectations need to drop.
Related: Trade Talk Intensifies: Rangers Pull Panarin Until Olympic Freeze
This is also why many feel the Rangers are going to get more in a potential Vincent Trocheck trade than they are in this Panarin trade. Trocheck is a center who is locked up for another three seasons at a cap hit of $5.625 million. Both of these reasons are why the Rangers are likely to get more if they trade Trocheck before the deadline. Teams are always in the market for centers, and the Rangers likely have the top center available, and it could turn into a bidding war for Trocheck’s services.
Panarin’s Trade Is The Next of More Moves to Follow
With it looking more likely that a Panarin trade is the next move for the Rangers, the question is what comes next? He likely won’t be the last player moved out before the trade deadline, so who else could be on the move? Trocheck has already been mentioned, and it seems more likely than not that he will be traded to a contending team before the deadline. Another name to watch is Braden Schneider, who is a 24-year-old right-handed defenseman, and teams at this time of year are always looking to add to their defense.
Could a player like Alexis Lafreniere be a trade candidate? He has struggled for the majority of his time in New York. With Panarin and Trocheck getting moved, two-thirds of the line that dominated the NHL two seasons ago will be gone, and Lafreniere could be the third. It’s tough to say what the Rangers are going to do next, but a Panarin trade will certainly be the next domino to fall, and it could happen very soon.
Panarin has been one of, if not the greatest, free agent signings in franchise history. He was the top forward on the team during his seven seasons in New York, and while it hurts that they didn’t win with him, he made some memories that will stick with Rangers fans forever. Now, when it comes to his possible trade return, fans might be upset with the outcome, but this trade needs to be done and will be done in the near future.
