Next Stretch Crucial for the New York Rangers and Their Trade Deadline Plans
The New York Rangers freefall has carried from last season into this season. General Manager Chris Drury has been trying to establish a new culture within the team, but the Rangers’ personnel are not good enough to make the playoffs.
NHL Rumors: Is Term Going to be the Issue for the New York Rangers and Artemi Panarin?
This is not a highly skilled team, and something needs to change after Saturday’s 10-2 loss to the Boston Bruins. There is no consistency, and the feeling is that the team has to start over. But Rangers owner James Dolan will “remain patient” with GM Chris Drury, as he told WFAN earlier in the week. Not to mention, Dolan said he wasn’t counting his team out.
So does Dolan know what he wants? During ABC’s Saturday Afternoon featuring the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins, Emily Kaplan was asked by Steve Levy what the Rangers’ trade-deadline strategy is.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Steve Levy: “Emily Kaplan joins us from Boston. The year is already flying by, and we’re going to talk about the trade deadline, which is two months away. What about the Rangers going forward?”
Emily Kaplan: “Well, James Dolan said it on WFAN this week, it echoes what I’ve heard privately. Chris Drury has the owner’s full support to do whatever he thinks his team needs. Now, as of now, they’re still pushing for the playoffs, up until the injuries to Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox this week. They were looking to add, but this is a critical month before the Olympic break, and if they’re not within reach of the playoffs, the expectation around the league is that the Rangers could be in for a mini-retool.
NHL Rumors: New York Rangers Season Determines What Happens with Artemi Panarin
Biggest question is Artemi Panarin and he was eligible for an extension this summer. We’re now in January. I’ve been told those talks have gone nowhere. Now, neither side has closed the door, but we’re trending right now for really, what was the best free agent signing ever in Rangers history to leave, but it’s important to remember that Panarin has a full no movement clause. He’s got control here.
So at some point, the Rangers have to have a conversation. Can we work with you on a trade? They have not broached that conversation yet. Again, this is only if they’re out of the playoff mix, and I do not expect anything to happen until the Olympic break.”
As NHLRumors.com has been reporting since the season started, this season was going to determine a lot when it comes to Artemi Panarin. Yes, Panarin is the Rangers’ best player, but the fact that the two sides are this far apart in an extension, while the rest of the 2026 free agent class is mostly signed, leads many to believe he will test the free-agent market.
If that is the case, they need to sell him off along with other team assets that are not just pending unrestricted free agents, but also players with term left, and start the rebuild, but finish it the right way this time.
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