Artemi Panarin trade rumors: Six potential landing spots for the star Rangers winger

Artemi Panarin likely played his last game as a member of the New York Rangers. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Rangers plan to suspend Panarin for trade reasons until the start of the Olympic break on Feb. 6, assuming a deal doesn’t come to fruition before then.

Rangers general manager Chris Drury announced just 12 days ago that the team would undergo another reorganization, so this news doesn’t really come as a surprise. Panarin is a 34-year-old pending free agent who will likely make big money on his next contract, and the Rangers have reset their schedule.

New York should be able to sign a veteran winger who just scored 120 points two seasons ago, and there should be no shortage of interest. Panarin still has plenty of offensive prowess and he leads the Rangers in assists (38) and points (57). Since entering the league in 2015-16, only four players have more points than Panarin’s 927. The team that welcomes Panarin will have an elite front-line winger.

The problem with Panarin’s move may be money – how much he is owed this season and what he will be owed in the future. Panarin has a big cap hit of $11.6 million for the remainder of the 2025-2026 season, and then he’s set to become a free agent. The Rangers likely won’t get the king’s ransom unless Panarin offers a contract extension, and finding a team willing to pay top dollar for a 34-year-old could be difficult.

That said, Panarin would be a great fit for a number of playoff contenders, especially these six, before the March 6 trade deadline.

Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim is a team on the rise and has what the Rangers would covet in a deal for Panarin: young talent and draft capital. The up-and-coming Ducks are currently third in the Pacific Division and just four points out of first place. Offense hasn’t necessarily been an issue for this team thus far, but adding Panarin would put an experienced scorer in a very inexperienced locker room.

Star center Leo Carlsson has gone cold since his torrid debut over the first two months, and a pairing with someone like Panarin might just be what revives him for the home stretch. Plus, if the Ducks are going to face teams like the Edmonton Oilers or Vegas Golden Knights, they’ll need some real firepower.

According to PuckPedia, the Ducks are expected to have nearly $40 million in cap space next offseason. Granted, some of that money is already earmarked for players like Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier, but Anaheim could afford a substantial investment in Panarin.

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Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have excellent depth, but they have been looking for a true elite offensive threat for some time now. They had him for eight games last season thanks to the Mikko Rantanen trade, but Panarin would provide them with a superstar scorer for an entire playoff run.

Beyond that, the Canes have won just one Eastern Conference Finals game since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006. As Carolina attempts to overcome that hurdle, wouldn’t this be the season to put the chips in the middle of the table? Take a look to the East. Only the Tampa Bay Lightning look like a heavyweight, and the back-to-back champions are out of the playoffs. The track is clear for the Hurricanes, and they must take a big step forward.

Money won’t be an issue this season, but a contract extension could be more of an issue. Still, the risk of losing Panarin to free agency next summer is worth it if it means Carolina can make a real run at the second Cup in franchise history.

Detroit Red Wings

The plan is finally starting to come together for Steve Yzerman in Detroit. After sitting out until the trade deadline last season, it would be shocking if he did the same this year. The Red Wings could win the Atlantic Division, or at the very least gain home-field advantage in the first round, thanks to two budding young stars in Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond.

As for the roster, there is a clear drop off behind the top three forwards – Raymond, Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin. No other forward has more than 32 points, and only one has more than nine goals. Panarin would give the Red Wings another elite playmaker to support the other three big guns at the top of the lineup (his 57 points would rank second on the team).

The Red Wings have money to spend, this season and next. According to PuckPedia, Detroit will have around $35 million available at the start of the new league year, and most of its key players have already signed. Why not write a big check to reclaim the winged wheel among NHL contenders?

Florida Panthers

The Panthers always seem to look to the biggest names on the trade market, and Panarin would be no different. After all, when Panarin signed with the Rangers in 2019, the Panthers were in the mix. Panarin’s friend from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Sergei Bobrovsky, ended up at Sunrise that year. Could we see a reunion soon?

Thanks in large part to injuries, the Panthers just haven’t been as formidable in 2025-26. Offensively, they sit 19th in the NHL with 157 goals, and Sam Reinhart and Brad Marchand have been forced to carry much of that load. Panarin could take some weight off his shoulders and he would give Florida the caliber of playmaking talent it was missing with captain Aleksander Barkov out of the lineup. What if Barkov could return for the playoffs? A triple would be in the cards.

If the Panthers want to acquire Panarin, they’ll have to cash out, and they don’t exactly have the capital required. This may sound crazy, but would Florida be willing to send Anton Lundell the other way? The 24-year-old center has struggled a bit in an elevated role this season but remains a player that would interest New York.

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Los Angeles Kings

If there was ever a team that needed offense, it was the Kings. Only two teams have allowed fewer goals, and only one team has allowed five-on-five expected goals at a lower rate. The problem is that Los Angeles ranks 30th in scoring, ahead of only the anemic Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues.

As it stands, we’re heading into the fifth film in the Kings vs. Kings franchise. Oilers, and we know how they all end. Edmonton overwhelms Los Angeles with its offensive attack, and the series ends in five or six games. With Panarin in the mix, the scenario could be different. Not only would Panarin’s 19 goals lead the team, but his 57 points would be 17 points ahead of the next closest player, Adrian Kempe. Quinton Byfield has nine goals in 50 games. Let him center Panarin’s line and watch him reach his offensive potential.

Los Angeles would be able to absorb Panarin’s hit while retaining each of its first-round picks in the next three drafts. Would this be a good long-term solution? Only time will tell.

Washington Capitals

This trade scenario would bring Russian superstars Panarin and Alex Ovechkin together in the nation’s capital. That should be enough to convince anyone of this deal, but it has meaning far beyond the bond between these two.

The Capitals had a disastrous January. They are still within reach of the playoffs, but something needs to change quickly. Winning the Panarin competition would certainly be considered a change. With Pierre-Luc Dubois in the closet, Washington is particularly devoid of pop at the top of its lineup. Beyond Ovechkin, Tom Wilson and (maybe) Dylan Strome, things get bleak pretty quickly. Although the Caps really need a center, Panarin has the ability to run the play and distribute the puck from the wing, something this team desperately needs to compete with the best in the East.

In order to make this deal, Washington would either have to cut his salary or pay extra for New York to keep some money. Regardless of which route they take, the Caps should have the capital required to make this trade.