Artemi Panarin’s tenure with the New York Rangers has flown by.
The head of the 2019 UFA free agent class is already entering the final season of his seven-year, $81,500,000 contract signed to come to the Big Apple.
Panarin has been among the most productive players in the league during his time as a Ranger, but as he nears age 34 after a mess of a 2024-25 season for the team, his future in New York is up in the air.
Team reporter Peter Baugh of The Athletic spoke to several executives around the league and shared some details on the state of Panarin and his next contract.
“He’s not going to sign if he’s not paid as a premier player. That’s what they’re going to have to decide. The luxury is guys love playing in New York,” one Western Conference executive told Baugh.
“The team wants to be a contender soon. It’s not like they’re wondering, philosophically, ‘Are we going to rebuild, or are we going to pay him?’ It’s, ‘We want to win now,'” an Eastern Conference scout told Baugh.
Will Artemi Panarin sign a contract extension? Burning Rangers questions for 2025-26 https://t.co/fWezZeV6Z0
— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) August 21, 2025
The ‘Bread Man’ saw a slight dip in production last season but still finished well over a point per game with 89 points (37 goals, 52 assists) in 80 games played.
Panarin would draw immense interest on the open market
Even though Artemi Panarin is approaching his mid-thirties, a majority of teams around the NHL would be all over the potential to sign him in free agency.
Another executive in Baugh’s article said they expect Panarin to age well because of his smarts and skill level, which has certainly been the case in recent years. The superstar winger has racked up the sixth-most points of anyone in the NHL over the last three seasons, doing so from the ages of 31 through 33.
The 2025-26 season will, of course, play somewhat of a factor in what Panarin makes on his next deal, but there’s no reason to think he’s all of a sudden going to fall off.
Next year’s free agent class looks stacked for now, but it could once again end up that Artemi Panarin is the crown jewel everyone is vying for.
