Frontrunner Emerges in Artemi Panarin Trade Talks if Rangers Decide to Trade Him

Coming into the 2025/26 campaign, there were suggestions in New York that Artemi Panarin's time with the Rangers is coming to an end, as he is a free agent, and perhaps the biggest one available in the summer of 2026.

Now, the Rangers have been very underwhelming early in the year, and with other teams in the division thriving, it's safe to assume that Chris Drury and the front office are looking to make a major move, but whether that's an addition or a subtraction, we don't know as of right now.

Perhaps the biggest trade piece of all for the Rangers is Panarin, who has started the season well with 2 goals and 7 points in 10 games, and with the team sitting at 3-5-2, there may be genuine consideration within the organization to trading him.

If that happens, NHL Insider Frank Seravalli already has a major destination in mind, naming the division rival Carolina Hurricanes as a team to watch in potential Panarin trade sweepstakes.

This summer, the Hurricanes landed both K'Andre Miller and Nikolaj Ehlers to upgrade their team, and given that they're off to a red-hot start, with a good deadline pickup or two, this team could be contenders in the Eastern Conference.

Ultimately, it's unclear as of right now whether or not the Rangers are set to move Panarin, but after Eric Tulsky made some major swings a year ago, don't count the 'Canes out if he does truly become available.