The NHL’s Olympic roster freeze officially kicks in today at 3 PM EDT and runs through February 22. That gives the Rangers and the rest of the league just hours to complete any transactions before the trade market goes dark for nearly three weeks.All eyes are on one player. And that player is in no rush to make things easy. Artemi Panarin has been held out of the Rangers’ last three games for what the team has called “roster management” purposes. But this holdup is not due to a lack of interest from the teams.
Artemi Panarin’s $50 Million demands make things hard for potential buyers
Panarin, who leads the Rangers with 57 points in 52 games this season, hasn’t suited up since January 26. The organization’s message is clear. His time in New York is coming to an end, and according to The Athletic’s Vince Mercogliano, six teams remain in the mix for Panarin. The issue is the winger’s insistence on having a contract extension in place as part of any deal. Panarin is reportedly seeking roughly $50 million on what could be the final contract of his career, a figure that has given several suitors pause.His agent, Paul Theofanous, has been working through the options, but the process has been slow. Panarin holds a full no-movement clause in the final year of his seven-year, $81.5 million contract, giving him complete control over his destination.Multiple league sources believe the Florida Panthers remain his preferred landing spot. The Tampa Bay Lightning have also generated recent buzz. But the extension piece presents a significant challenge for both Sunshine State teams, whose salary cap situations make a long-term commitment difficult to structure.The Carolina Hurricanes and Los Angeles Kings offer more cap flexibility to accommodate an extension. The San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals reportedly have the most appealing trade assets to send back to the Rangers. Mercogliano has noted that Panarin does not want to go the rental route, which narrows the field considerably. Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury faces limited leverage in negotiations, particularly if Panarin gives him only one team to work with. Letting a pending unrestricted free agent walk for nothing at the March 6 trade deadline would be a disastrous outcome for a team sitting last in the Eastern Conference at 22-28-6. Both sides would prefer a resolution before the freeze. But if Panarin’s demands remain firm and the cap math doesn’t add up, this saga could easily stretch into late February once the Olympic break ends.
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