New York Rangers star winger Artemi Panarin appears set to enter the season as a pending unrestricted free agent as he plays out the last of a seven-year, $81.5 million contract.
Panarin sidestepped Thursday when asked if he felt it was important to ink a new deal before the season starts.
“That’s obviously good for everyone to feel that security, but I’m not in my first year in hockey so I’m used to being in those situations – not every year, but it is what it is right now,” Panarin said, per NHL.com. “I’m not complaining right now. I’m ready to work hard.”
Panarin, who will turn 34 next month, recorded 37 goals and 89 points in 80 games with the Rangers last season.
He carries a cap hit of $11.67 million on his expiring deal, which he inked as an unrestricted free agent in 2019.
“I’ve said many times on record what I think of him as a player,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said of Panarin earlier this week. “He’s a huge piece of our team and our organization. He does not appear to me to be slowing down. He takes his off-season seriously. He looks like he’s in great shape and ready to go.
“As far as the contract stuff, I’ve also said on record that I don’t talk about negotiations publicly. Any conversations I have with Artemi or his representation will stay that way, just private.”
The Rangers are looking to return to the playoffs last season after a turbulent 2024-25 campaign that included trading captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks. New York added now-captain J.T. Miller in another in-season trade and parted ways with long-time Ranger Chris Kreider this summer.
The team will be led by two-time Stanley Cup winner Mike Sullivan behind the bench this season. Sullivan said he addressed last season’s drama with the group.
“It was a conversation that I had with some of the guys, we live in reality,” Sullivan said, per the New York Post. “I think it would be foolish of me not to acknowledge it. What I will tell you is that we are going to be a forward-thinking group. We are not going to live in the past. We are certainly not going to dwell on the past. What we are going to try to do is we are going to try to learn from the past.”
Sullivan has placed Miller at centre on a line Mika Zibanejad to start camp, while Panarin skated on a line with Vincent Trocheck and Taylor Raddysh Wednesday.
#NYR Mika Zibanejad on losing Chris Kreider:
“I felt like it was coming. It wasn’t out of the blue, so. Not going to stand here and lie and say, ‘It’s part of the business.’ Obviously, it was tough. It’s an adjustment time. But I think as a human being, I’m not going to push…
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) September 18, 2025
Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015, Panarin has 302 goals and 870 points in 752 career games split between the Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Rangers.
Panarin is a two-time first-team all-star and finished third in Hart Trophy voting in 2019-20 after recording 32 goals and 95 points in 68 games. His best season came during the 2023-24 season where he put up 49 goals and 120 points in 82 games.
He also won the Calder Trophy in 2016 as rookie of the year after registering 30 goals and 77 points as a member of the Blackhawks.