Story byRobert SanchezSun, January 18, 2026 at 2:22 AM UTC·2 min readFollowing a disappointing first half of the season and general manager Chris Drury's announcement in a letter to the fans of a roster "shift" coming soon, it appears very likely that the Rangers will be sellers at the NHL trade deadline on March 6. One of the players who appears to be on the move is winger Artemi Panarin, who is in his seventh season as a member of the Blueshirts -- the final year of a seven-year, $81.5 million deal he signed before the 2019-20 season. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAn alternate captain for New York since the 2020-21 season, Panarin has consistently been one of the Rangers' best players on the ice, totaling 604 points during his time in New York. This season, the 34-year-old has tallied 54 points (18 goals, 36 assists), including two goals and an assist in Saturday's win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Despite having a full no-move clause in his contract, which gives the veteran the power to veto any attempt by the Rangers to move him from the roster, Panarin was one of the players who met individually with Drury before his letter came out. During the exchange, which was described as an "honest meeting," Drury told Panarin that the Rangers would not be offering him a contract extension and that they'd like to find him an opportunity for him to win elsewhere, reports The Athletic's Vince Mercogliano."It's hard to say how I feel," Panarin said after Saturday's win. "I’m still confused, but the GM decided to go in a different direction.
