Artemi Panarin scored against the Wild on Monday, but could he be scoring for Minnesota later this season?
Frank Seravalli, one of the most trusted insiders in the NHL, said Tuesday on Insider Notebook that he could see Minnesota making a trade for the All-Star winger before the March 7, 2026, deadline.
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“I could see that. I think that would make a ton of sense. Obviously the Russian connection, Panarin and (Kirill) Kaprizov have the same agent. They’re friends,” Seravalli said.
“I think, unfortunately for Minnesota, Panarin isn’t a center, which is what they really need. But they’ve got some cap space this year, and if you could find a way to make a reasonable deal for Panarin, I think that they could make it an interesting fit.”
There is a caveat, however, as Seravalli believes the Rangers need to be out of the playoff picture to become motivated to deal Panarin.
“It’s going to be a storyline to watch no matter what as the season goes on, but I don’t think they’re anywhere near making that decision just yet,” Seravalli said.
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Panarin, in the final year of his seven-year, $81.5 million deal, reportedly turned down a team-friendly extension offered by the Rangers in September — an indication that he’s looking for a bigger deal ahead of free agency next July.
Oct 20, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) skates with the puck against Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber (7) during the second period at Madison Square Garden.Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Any team that signs Panarin to a deal longer than two years is risking falling victim to an age decline. Panarin turns 34 on Oct. 30, and he’s already logged 760 career regular-season games across 11 NHL seasons.
On top of that, the Wild need to decide if they’re willing to trade a key asset or draft picks (or both) for Panarin as a rental player before possibly losing him as a free agent.
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All of that said, he’s still extremely productive. He’s had at least 74 points in all but one of his NHL seasons, and he’s posted four consecutive impressive campaigns with 96 points in 2021-22, 92 in 2022-23, 120 in 2023-24, and 89 in 2024-25.
“Minnesota’s a team to watch in general as they build, because I think they’re just sort of cracking into that upper-echelon of teams that also have some youth to them — eight players on their roster, 24 or under — that it’s going to be a really exciting time for the Wild as they begin to bolt on special parts and pieces to this team,” Seravalli said.
“I think we’re talking about two to three years from now where you’re going to see the Wild in that contender category for a Stanley Cup.”
Seravalli then reiterated that a trade for Panarin “could be exactly the type of move that they’d be interested in making.”
This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Oct 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the MN Sports section. Add Bring Me The News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.