It's the start of free agency, and questions remain whether New York Rangersforward Artemi Panarin will have his contract extended with the team and whether or not he'll be a mainstay in Madison Square Garden. When asked about a new deal, Chris Drury remained quiet on the topic.![Artemi Panarin]()
New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin has one year left on his $81.5 million deal. If he makes it into the 2026 offseason without a deal, he'll be a pending UFA, and the bidding war could begin immediately.
Panarin has been one of the Rangers' best forwards during the regular season, scoring 120 points in 2023-24, and would regress slightly to 89 this year.
Despite the lack of consistency, he remains a high-value forward in the Rangers' lineup and deserves consideration for a new deal at the very least.
Rangers GM Chris Drury would address local media, and he'd refuse to answer questions on the topic of a Panarin extension.
Panarin has been one of the Rangers' best players since he arrived in 2019 in free agency after leaving the Blue Jackets.
The Rangers would be devastated on the offensive side of the puck, as Panarin puts in a large share of the production the team relies on in all parts of the season.
But thinking long-term, if the Rangers are going to retool, while Panarin will be turning 34 soon, they may have to adjust expectations on both sides.
Panarin's production could steadily decrease, and a massive deal could weigh down the team's prospects for the future.
It remains unclear what Drury's vision for the future with Panarin will end up being. For now, we know he'll be a Blueshirt for one more season.
