Rangers Daily: Which team has best odds of landing Artemi Panarin in trade?
Now that the New York Rangers revealed their plan to try and trade Artemi Panarin ahead of the March 6 NHL deadline, there’s much speculation about where their leading scorer will wind up.
Soon after the Rangers posted the Letter 2.0 on social media Friday, BetOnline.ag generated odds for which teams are the most likely landing spot for the star forward, who can become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
So, which team has the best odds?
The Vegas Golden Knights opened at 2/1 to acquire Panarin. That’s not a shocking choice for best odds since Vegas is typically in on every big-name player that becomes available in the NHL, often coming away with the latest prize. Most recently, the Golden Knights acquired Mitch Marner’s rights from the Toronto Maple Leafs and signed him right before the stud forward hit free agency this past offseason.
As is the case with most Stanley Cup contenders, the Golden Knights don’t have a lot of salary cap space. So a trade with the Rangers requires New York, and perhaps a third party, retaining salary. Trading players off the Vegas roster to fit Panarin and his $11.64 million cap hit is likely preferable for both teams, too.
The Washington Capitals, a Metropolitan Division rival, is next on the list with 3/1 odds, followed by the Montreal Canadiens at 5/1. How much fun would it be to see Chris Drury and Jeff Gorton try and hammer out a Panarin deal, considering their history?
A bit further down the list are the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, another team that always finds a way to add another superstar to its roster ahead of the trade deadline. Plus, Panarin’s buddy Sergei Bobrovsky plays for the Panthers, and, hey, don’t Russians typically love being in South Florida?
BetOnline has the Panthers sitting at 8/1.
Keep in mind that Panarin has a complete no-move clause in his contract, so the Rangers need him to waive that to make any trade. That’s why the Rangers will work closely with Panarin’s representation on any deal.
We’ll break down possible trade fits for Panarin in future articles on Forever Blueshirts. But here are the teams with the best odds to acquire the Breadman from the Rangers.
| Vegas Golden Knights | 2/1 |
| Washington Capitals | 3/1 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 5/1 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 6/1 |
| Dallas Stars | 6/1 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 6/1 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 8/1 |
| Florida Panthers | 8/1 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 8/1 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 10/1 |
| Boston Bruins | 10/1 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 10/1 |
| Minnesota Wild | 12/1 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 16/1 |
New York Rangers news and analysis
Here’s the complete story about the Rangers plans for the immediate and long-term future after general manager Chris Drury ushered in another “retool,” not “rebuild,” in his words.
Newsday’s Colin Stephenson told Forever Blueshirts that Panarin’s “OK with whatever happens” — and that was before the Rangers informed the 34-year-old on Friday they wouldn’t offer him a contract extension.
So, with all that on their plate, the Rangers visit the Philadelphia Flyers in a Saturday matinee. Where their collective heads are at is just one of the key Rangers storylines for this one.
Teams were already “poking around” the Rangers, looking into their players, before New York’s public proclamation Friday.
NHL news and rumors
NHL.com: Interesting timing here, as Tom Gulitti reports that Washington Capitals general manager Chris Patrick said Friday that he’s “actively pursuing” trying to pick up a top-line wing ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Hmmmm … pretty sure the Rangers took note of that one. Bread and Ovi?
Bleacher Report: Jason Robertson and the Dallas Stars still can’t find a path to a contract extension, so Lyle Richardson put together this Top-5 list of likely destinations should the high-scoring forward be traded. You might be most interested in No. 4 on the list. Just sayin’.
TSN: The Anaheim Ducks will be without young stud Leo Karlsson for 3-5 weeks because of a thigh injury that required surgery. That also puts into doubt whether he’ll be available to play for Sweden at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.
Daily Faceoff: Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz revealed that a nerve issue is the reason why he hasn’t played since Nov. 11. He said that he’s close to returning to game action.
Sportsnet: Here’s a fun read from Luke Fox on the 2025-26 All-Healthy Scratch Team, and how Mika Zibanejad of the Rangers ended up on the list.
Florida Hockey Now: The Panthers were smoked by the Carolina Hurricanes 9-1, and George Richards writes that this was like the bad old days in South Florida.
