The New York Rangers' general manager, Chris Drury, has suddenly made his intentions known regarding Artemi Panarin's future within the organization.![Artemi Panarin]()
Whist the Rangers are in the midst of their ongoing rebuild, the Original Six franchise is in dire need to dissect who they want to keep around, and who they would like to depart with.
And new insight has revealed a controversial player may be on his way out of the organization next campaign, Artemi Panarin.
The New York Rangers' Artemi Panarin has just one year remaining on his seven-year, $81.5M deal with the organization, where he will be set to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) during the 2026 NHL offseason.
However, a recent question has surfaced, regarding whether or not the Rangers are open to the idea of signing Panarin to a contract extension, or if negotiations have kicked off yet.
General manager, Chris Drury, refuses to comment on whether or not the New York Rangers will offer Artemi Panarin a contract extension
On Wednesday, New York Rangers' general manager, Chris Drury, addressed the media, and when he was questioned regarding Panarin, he refused to comment whether he and Panarin's camp had begun extension talks.
Although this is absolutely shocking, due to the fact Panarin is still playing at an elite level and the Rangers are desperate for talent if they anticipate postseason contention for the 2025/26 NHL season, there are two sides to this story.
On one hand, Panarin is extremely impactful for the Rangers, as he recorded a career-high, 120 points, during the 2023/24 campaign, and he is still coming off of an 89-points season.
The possibility of losing Panarin could be extremely costly for the Rangers, due to the fact the team relies on him for a massive chunk of their offensive production.
On the other hand, committing to a 33-year old forward, soon to be 34-years old, may ultimately be a detriment to the Rangers down the road.
And sure, Panarin is producing at an extremely high level now, but who's to say what he'll be in two or three years from now.
Do you think the New York Rangers should offer a contract extension to Artemi Panarin?