Rangers Daily: 1st trade deadline nears; Panthers ‘in trouble’
The New York Rangers and the 31 other teams in the NHL are fast approaching the first League-imposed deadline to make trades, when the roster freeze ahead of the Winter Olympic break arrives at 3 p.m. ET Wednesday.
For sure, the Rangers prefer to have a deal in place by then to trade Artemi Panarin. And really, any acquiring team likely wants Panarin in place sooner rather than later, too. It’s preferable for Panarin to use the three-week break to move his family to a new locale and adjust to a new team, new routine, etc. That way, he can hit the ground running when the season starts up again in late February.
So, there’s a lot of motivation on all fronts to finalize a Panarin trade sometime Tuesday or before the deadline Wednesday. But it’s not that easy, of course. Motivation is one thing. But the logistics involved here, including Panarin holding a no-movement clause and seeking a contract extension from his preferred destination before signing off on any trade, are not easy to navigate in quick fashion.
Though there’s so much chatter on social media about how the Rangers must, or absolutely will, move Panarin in the next 24 hours or so, it may simply not be realistic. And if you’re the Rangers, no need to rush anything here. They need to nail the return on this trade as best as possible, even with Panarin holding most of the cards.
Remember, the real deadline is March 6. That’s the official NHL trade deadline. So, there shouldn’t be any hand-wringing or dumping on the Blueshirts if a deal is not completed before the Olympic roster freeze.
The same holds true for any possible Vincent Trocheck trade. However the Rangers can leverage the return for the 32-year-old center the better. Of course, that’s IF they even trade him, though it says here they should.
Of course, the Rangers could trade Trocheck or, say, Braden Schneider or Alexis Lafreniere, during the offseason, too, since each remains under contract past this season. The only big name that must be moved before March 6 is Panarin, who’s a pending unrestricted free agent.
Though preferable for all involved to get the Panarin trade done before the first deadline Wednesday, don’t fret if we all must wait for another few weeks before one gets a finalized. That’s just the business.
Either way, we’ve got you covered here at Forever Blueshirts.
New York Rangers news and analysis
Beyond being a “happy-go-lucky kid,” what exactly do the Rangers have in 23-year-old newcomer Vincent Iorio?
Derek Stepan tells Forever Blueshirts exactly how he felt when then-GM Jeff Gorton called to tell the former center that the Rangers traded him to the Coyotes back in 2017. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t a positive reaction.
And if you want to hear more Rangers stories and memories from Stepan, check out our interview with him on the Rink Rap podcast.
Let’s try and get to the heart of the matter as it pertains to the Rangers trying to trade Artemi Panarin: what is the most significant factor in order for Panarin to waive his no-move clause?
John Kreiser previews the Rangers week ahead, which includes only one game before the NHL roster freeze and countdown to the first deadline to make a trade.
NHL news and rumors
Florida Hockey Now: Uh oh, now even Matthew Tkachuk is saying it out loud. The Panthers “are in trouble” following their fourth-straight loss. George Richards with the latest on the two-time defending Cup champs, who may not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season.
TSN: To make matters worse for the beat-up Panthers, they lost Sam Bennett due to an upper-body injury during their loss Monday to the Buffalo Sabres
Ottawa Sun: Could the Senators be both buyers and sellers ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline? Sure feels that way.
Sportsnet: Former Rangers’ Stanley Cup winner Nick Kypreos posted his latest NHL Trade Board 3.0 and lo and behold, Panarin’s name is not on the top of it — though it is prominent.
New Jersey Hockey Now: The Devils really need Jack Hughes in the lineup. But will he play Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets? James Nichols has the latest health update on the Devils star center.
Daily Faceoff: If Anthony Cirelli — injured Sunday in the Stadium Series win by his Tampa Bay Lightning — is unable to take part in the Milan-Cortina Olympics, who replaces him on Canada’s roster? Let the debate begin.
CBC: Three junior players from the Southern Alberta Mustangs were killed in a car crash involving a massive semi-truck.
