Rangers Daily: Sharks reportedly in on Panarin; Palat trade grades
Artemi Panarin’s days on Broadway are numbered, we all know that. But where is the New York Rangers leading scorer headed next?
Perhaps San Jose?
Sheng Peng reported in San Jose Hockey Now that the Sharks have been in contact with the Rangers about Panarin. That, in of itself, is not a big deal. You’d figure quite a few NHL teams are checking in with the Rangers to see if a deal is there to be made.
But what stands out is this piece of reporting that Panarin “would be willing to sign an extension with San Jose.”
Remember, Panarin holds the cards here because of the no-move clause in his contract. So, the 34-year-old pending unrestricted free agent can determine which teams he’d accept a trade to, and whether or not he requires a contract extension before signing off on any trade.
Assuming Peng’s reporting is correct, the Sharks and Rangers could be further down the road to swing a trade than any of us are aware of. Especially after the Rangers scratched Panarin for “roster management purposes” Wednesday, when they lost to the Islanders 5-2. The Blueshirts have no plans to play Panarin again up to the Feb 4 NHL roster freeze for the Winter Olympics.
It’s a bit like reading tea leaves, trying to connect the dots on whether a Panarin trade is imminent or if the Rangers are wisely playing it safe with their valuable asset.
Most NHL people Forever Blueshirts spoke with about the topic believe Panarin’s preference is to remain on the East Coast. But there’ve been plenty of rumors linking Panarin to each of the three teams in California — the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and, now, the Sharks.
Listen, the Sharks must be wildly intrigued by the thought of Panarin skating on the left side of a top line with rising superstar Macklin Celebrini in the middle and Will Smith — another young stud — on the right. They do have the draft capital to help facilitate a trade, including a pair of first-round picks this year.
But would they part with one of their talented younger players and/or prospects like William Eklund, Igor Chernyshov, or Filip Bystedt, for example? If a contract extension is there for Panarin, and he’s not just a rental, the Rangers must push for young talent in return.
Fascinating stuff. Stay tuned. We’ve got you covered here.
New York Rangers news and analysis
Here’s the latest news on Panarin, who’s likely played his last game with the Rangers.
And here are our key Rangers takeaways after that 5-2 loss on Long Island.
Our Pat Pickens breaks down the top five Rangers who could be traded after Carson Soucy was moved to the Islanders. Gee, guess who’s No. 1 on that list?!
Taking a deep dive into why the Rangers have “appetite to explore” a trade involving Alexis Lafreniere.
Shifting focus to the minors, Juuso Parssinen’s miserably frustrating season continued with Hartford of the American Hockey League, when he sustained another upper-body injury in his first game from 19-game absence.
ICYMI, our Lou Orlando handed out trade grades for the Rangers and Islanders after the Soucy deal.
NHL news and rumors
New Jersey Hockey Now: Speaking of trade grades, James Nichols takes out his red marker to assess how the Devils and Islanders fared in the Ondrej Palat deal Tuesday.
Daily Faceoff: The Dallas Stars reportedly are targeting veteran forwards Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman of the Calgary Flames ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline.
Sportsnet: Speaking of Coleman, the two-time Stanley Cup champion is out through the Olympic break with an upper-body injury.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Dan Kingerski explains why he’s dubious that the Penguins could swing a trade to acquire Jason Robertson from the Dallas Stars, now or down the road.
Daily Faceoff: It looks like the Winnipeg Jets plan to be sellers ahead of the trade deadline. A surprisingly intriguing option for teams to consider in that vein is Jets defenseman Logan Stanley.
Philly Hockey Now: That didn’t take long. In his second game back from an upper-body injury, Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen sustained a lower-body injury Wednesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
TSN: The Montreal Canadiens fired goalie coach Eric Raymond, an interesting in-season move for a team in the thick of the playoff race.
Detroit Hockey Now: The Detroit Red Wings re-signed pending UFA defenseman Ben Chiarot to a three-year, $11.55 million contract.
