Artemi Panarin, Kirill Kaprizov, and Kyle Connor have a lot in common. The trio of elite wingers has become building blocks for their respective teams, which have Stanley Cup aspirations. All three of them take over games by themselves, despite playing the wing and not the center position. They are also all heading to free agency after the 2025-26 season at the time of this typing.
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With this trio, the question heading into the season is which player will bend first and sign an extension (opening the door for another player to come in and sign a bigger deal afterwards). Likewise, there’s also a chance that one of these wingers is traded or plays out the last season of their contract and tests free agency. So, between Connor, Kaprizov, and Panarin, who is most likely to sign an extension, get traded, or wait things out?
Artemi Panarin: Gets Traded
Since signing with the Rangers in the 2019 offseason, Panarin has become a key part of the New York Rangers and their success. He’s carried the top line and made a difference in the playoffs, allowing the Rangers to reach the Eastern Conference Final in 2022 and 2024. He chose to sign with them in the 2019 offseason, but now his contract is expiring, and he might look to end his career elsewhere.
It’s why there’s a good chance the Rangers will look to trade Panarin in the middle of this season. This team is in a tough spot and needs a reset, something a big trade can provide. If the Rangers aren’t in playoff position halfway through the season, they’ll look towards their most valuable trade asset and see what return they can receive.
The question is what type of return the Rangers will receive in a Panarin deal. He’s 33 years old, which, at first glance, diminishes his value. Likewise, with a no-movement clause, Panarin must approve a trade and can limit the available options by only lifting the clause for one or two teams (something many star players do). However, he’s still playing at a high level and is a proven difference-maker in the playoffs. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if a team tries to sign him to an eight-year deal this summer, whether it’s the Rangers or not. With this in mind, the Rangers can ask for an elite prospect or three pieces in a return, knowing they have a high-value player to trade.
Kirill Kaprizov: Signs An Extension
Even with the recent reports that Kaprizov’s contract extensions have stalled, it’s still hard to see him playing anywhere else. He’s the face of the Minnesota Wild franchise and the one forward they can lean on to win games (Brock Faber is the one defenseman they lean on as well). The offense goes with Kaprizov, and his value to the team is more than many elite talents because of it.
Minnesota Wild forward Kiril Kaprizov (Nick Wosika-Imagn Images)
The question is whether the Wild will meet Kaprizov’s demands to make a deal work. The eight years aren’t an issue, but the average annual value (AAV) is. $16 million AAV is a lot, $7 million more than his previous deal and $2 million more than Leon Draisaitl, a player many consider to be in a tier above him. However, with the salary cap going up and Kaprizov being one of the best wingers in the game, he’ll get what he wants, if not from the Wild, then from someone else.
It’s hard seeing the Wild letting things play out that way. They’ll make him the highest-paid winger and one of the highest-paid players in the NHL. If they can’t come to terms with the elite player, then it’s most likely because he wants to play elsewhere, from a contender with less money to offer or a rebuilding team that can overspend.
Kyle Connor: Plays the Waiting Game
There’s a chance Connor is traded. He has a modified no-movement clause, and a rough season from the Winnipeg Jets can have them looking at options to fix a depleted farm system. That said, of the three wingers, Connor is the one most likely to play out the season on a competitive Jets team and then test out free agency.
The Jets don’t want to lose another star to free agency and will make a push to sign Connor. Nikolaj Ehlers left in the summer, and another elite talent leaving will reinforce the narrative around Winnipeg that it’s the opposite of a destination and a place players want to avoid. The Jets want to keep Connor around as a staple of the franchise, and the only question will be whether the star is on board as well.
Connor grew up in Michigan and might want to play for his hometown team. There’s also always the idea of the grass being greener somewhere else, and teams will have the contending rosters or the cap space to give Connor something the Jets can’t. It’s why the Jets might look to trade him midseason if the season goes south. There’s this unknown surrounding the star player, and it’s why he’s the most likely to wait things out and see how the season unfolds.
These 3 Can Be the Sliding Doors Players of the 2025-26 Season
If any of these three players isn’t signed by the start of the season, the clock starts ticking. The pressure will be on for both the players, who are betting on themselves, and the teams, who must prove they are the right spot for them. The spotlight is on Connor McDavid right now, but these three wingers can control how the season plays out for most of the league.
There can be a big trade involving the trio, just like the Mikko Rantanen blockbuster last season. Nobody saw that coming, and it took the hockey world by surprise. It also had a direct impact on three Cup contenders, and the same thing can happen if Panarin or Connor is moved to a contending team for other NHL-caliber players (just like the Rantanen trade).
Likewise, one of these players can head to free agency and do so following a breakout year. Mitch Marner tested the market and ended up with the Vegas Golden Knights, while Sam Bennett bet on himself and not only won the Conn Smythe but re-signed on a big contract with the Florida Panthers.
Which of the three wingers do you think will be traded? Which will sign an extension before the season? And will any of them play the waiting game? Let us know in the comments section below!
